Canada's oldest operating hydroelectric generating station opens its doors

OTTAWA, June 5, 2015 /CNW/ - Hydro Ottawa is offering a unique opportunity: to step inside Canada's oldest operating hydroelectric generating station as part of Doors Open Ottawa this weekend, June 6-7.

Hydro Ottawa is welcoming visitors to its Chaudière Falls Generating Station No. 2 for guided tours of the 124-year-old facility to discover how hydroelectricity was, and still is produced.

Doors Open Ottawa is a City of Ottawa initiative in which visitors are given the opportunity to explore some of the city's most prestigious buildings and facilities.

Quick Facts

• Commissioned in 1891 and refurbished and fully automated in 2001, Generating Station No. 2 it is Canada's oldest surviving hydroelectric station still in operation.
• The construction of a new 29-megawatt (MW) facility at the Chaudière Falls location is underway. This will increase Hydro Ottawa's hydroelectric capacity to 58 MW.
• Hydro Ottawa has participated in Doors Open Ottawa since 2011.

Quotes

"This station has been integral to providing clean, reliable power to Ottawa and surrounding areas for generations. We're proud that more than 1,700 people visited last year to explore how hydroelectricity is produced, and we look forward to showcasing it to even more visitors this year." 
- Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hydro Ottawa

About Hydro Ottawa

Hydro Ottawa's core businesses are delivering electricity, generating renewable power and providing energy conservation/management services. Hydro Ottawa is a community-owned, private company, delivering electricity to more than 319,500 customers in Ottawa and Casselman. It is the largest municipally-owned producer of green power in the province, with hydroelectric and landfill gas-to-energy generating facilities. Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) owns and operates two subsidiary companies, Hydro Ottawa Limited and Energy Ottawa Inc.

SOURCE Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.

Daniel Séguin, Manager, Media and Public Affairs, Hydro Ottawa, Tel: [phone] ext. 345, [email protected] ; www.hydroottawa.com