HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1920, Page 1

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER.

THE CANADIAN EXAMPLE Now that hydro-electric possibilities aro being considered locally, the experience of other countries in respect to the great enterprise possible, is worth noting. Canada is a country where some wonderful developments have taken place, and the Water Power Department of Canada is now one ol the greatest organisations of its kind in the world. A treatise on the water power resources of Canada is before us. It is artistically printed and excellently illustrated.' The whole volume bespeaks the wealth of the national treasure it discloses. As the subject is of such general interest, we quote from the introduction of this most illuminating State document as follows:- . WATER POWERS OF CANADA. “Water power has played a most important role in the industrial development of the Canadian Dominion, and with the advances in electrical science, will play an even more important toe in the'future. Probably no country m the -world is more fortunate in the extent and location of its white com than is Canada. Practically every coni, merciak centre from coast to coast, - c-ept ofly a few in the middle iinunt provinces, have abundance of nate power available, not only for present needs hut for all anticipated rcqu.rcv meats. Indeed the fortunate ocat.o of Canada’s water powers is the out standing feature of her water power re.

“Furthermore, where there is » (,t sufficient white coal available to ' nish energy requirement, there abundance of black coal. So ; L . I sources of energy for power-pi oduui „ ■ agencies are concerned, Canada’s pos,ion of Canada, and excluding the nortl - most territories, praeticalh all o Yukon, and the northern an c.. portoins of Quebec, it is estimated tlMt 17 746,900 horse power are. ava • this amount being exclusive m the case of Niagara Falls, Fort Frances and the St. Mary’s river at Sault Ste. Man of only the development permßWby international treaties, an docs not contemplate the full possibilities of storage for the JP loT^2^ ped powers, inclusive of all water o vers whether for electrical production pulp grinders, for milling or ior the ’ oreat many other uses, aggiega e 1 712A93 horse power, the distribution throughout the respective provinces in „ shown in the table hereunder : DEVELOPED POWER in CANA! T , . h.p. developed: Province: Nova Scotia - ’ “ New Brunswick ’ Prince Edward Island ow limce ue 520,000 Q u f beC - . 789,466 Oiihano 56,730 Manitoba 38.305 *«* -••- *&£ Yukon 5

1,712,193 -The extent of the future development can he only limited by the available water powers. Practically al o j the 1,712,193 horse power enumerated! above’ as developed from water power ; has -been created within the last twenty j years, and of this the last decade has | seen practically two-thirds of the to-j _ tal produced. If such a rate of m-. " crease were projected into the future . the 8,000,000 horse power estimated to | be available within range of present markets, will be entirely in use within fifteen years, and even by liberally discounting such a rate of increase not. withstanding our confidence in being upon the threshold of an inconceivably prosperous future, such a condition of development may be readily approached within a generation. ' ~ . , As compared with other industrial countries, Canada appears most lavourabiy endowed with water powei. ,L ‘ Dominion water power branch has care, fully compiled from official statements.

and has computed iron, ■ . sources of information, the o_ water power available and ~f i*'"| and the horse power per capita foi .h countries of Europe and America. II “With water power as a fundamental ( I necessity in the industrial future the i I regulation and conservation of the u r | waters is to-day being demanded on a larcm scale, and this will naturally become more insistent as time goes on. | It has been fortunate that, m Canady the title to the water power rights (have largely remained under the conn 1 'of the Dominion Provincial GovernIments. The Dominion Government ! I controls navigable streams an I water the Dominion, J -Vmd the water powers in geneial of j provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan | and Alberta. The administration oDall , i water powers in British Columbia, On- . tario , Quebec, New Brunswick and - Nova Scotia, is under respective provincial control. ’