Powerhouse at Stave Falls, Mission

Visit the 1912 Power House at Stave Falls in Mission, British Columbia and explore its surrounding region. The Power House, now a converted National Historic Site and Visitors Centre can be viewed from across Hayward Lake at the Hayward Lake BC Hydro Recreation Area. CREDIT: Venture Vancouver, SOURCE: www.venturevancouver.com

Explore the Alouette-Stave-Ruskin generation system and its historic 1912 Power House at Stave Falls Visitors Centre

STATS

HOURS

RATES

Type:

Museum

Season:

All Seasons

Weather:

All Weather

Time:

3 hours

Cost:

What to bring:

Camera, Questions, Sense of Curiosity

Take the opportunity to explore Mission's historic 1912 hydroelectric dam, the Powerhouse at Stave Falls. This converted visitors centre was once the major source of power for the Lower Mainland and today its a National Historic Site with a theatre, historic gallery, activities and allows visitors to get close to the original generator and turbines. Explore the Dam and its spectacular locale inside and out and learn about British Columbia's infrastructure.

British Columbia's mountainous locale has made it an ideal location to take advantage of its most important natural resource, running water. Power is an important element of the infrastructure of British Columbia and in the 1900s, one of the Lower Mainland's main sources of hydroelectric power was built, the Power House at Stave Falls.

Constructed between 1909 to 1912, the Stave Falls Dam and Powerhouse was an important source of hydroelectric power for the growing municipalities of the Greater Vancouver region and was later accompanied by the Ruskin Dam 5.6 kilometres downstream which was completed in 1930 to supply additional power to the area. The Alouette-Stave-Ruskin generation system continues to be an important producer of hydroelectric to the Lower Mainland, and in 2000, the Stave Falls Powerhouse was opened as a Visitors Centre and later designated a National Historic Site.

Today, visitors can step into a Hydroelectric Dam and see some of its 1912 power generating equipment such as turbines and generators up close. Learn how electricity is made through self-guided tours, a museum, a theatre and electric themed activities. The Historic Gallery details the time line of the Dam and how it was built. There are also outdoor exhibits by the parking lot with examples of power lines and electric equipment.

Learn about British Columbia's hydroelectric history at the Powerhouse at Stave Falls and see the inside of a power generating dam. Surrounded by the picturesque Fraser Valley, the Powerhouse is a perfect day trip locale and a great educational opportunity to learn about one of British Columbia's most important industries.