A Powerful Landmark

I mentioned in an earlier “offering” that there are several distinctive landmarks that a person sees when approaching Selkirk, such as the rolling mill to the south, the mental health facility to the west, and so on. But I did not mention the imposing structure in East Selkirk which greets you, on highway 210 near the Ferry Road junction: The Manitoba Hydro Selkirk Generating Station.

In the beginning… As industries and individual consumers alike turned to hydroelectricity in the 1950’s), it became obvious to the Manitoba Hydro Electric Board that electrical generating capacity had to be increased. Industries and businesses were switching from coal and oil to power their operations, and householders were using electricity to heat and light their homes and power all the modern conveniences that became available (fridges, stoves, and entertainment systems). The decision to build a new generating station was made, and after investigating several potential sites, land in the R.M. of St. Clements near East Selkirk was acquired, and the official sod-turning on May 23, 1957 marked the start of construction, with the project to be completed by 1960.

Construction… of the building was a huge undertaking for the time. Large mobile mechanical augurs drilled 40-foot-deep holes varying in diameter from 28 inches (71 cm.) to 8 feet (2.4 m). The holes were lined with sheet metal and filled with concrete. These footings provided the basic support for the powerhouse station and the heavy machinery housed therein.

The facility… The powerhouse is an impressive four-storey building – with an area of over 38,00 sq ft. (3500 sq m.). At 250 feet (76 m), the towering chimney stack is impossible to miss when approaching from the east. In fact, even from my home vantage point on the south edge ofSelkirk, it is an imposing edifice.

In addition to the imposing smokestack, the complex has other important components, including a water treatment building and a pumphouse located on the bank of the Red River across Highway 210 from the powerhouse.

Home-grown… The project was truly a “Made-in-Manitoba” project. Over two thirds of the 3,000 or more tons of structural steel required to build the generating station, were fabricated in Manitoba, as well as the four huge steel hoppers (which had a capacity of 750 tons of coal). A further 7000 tons of steel, used in constructing the crusher house, conveyor galley, reclaiming hopper, car dumper, and water treatment plant, was made locally. And the steel rod required for concrete reinforcement was supplied by the Manitoba Rolling Mills in Selkirk.

Also, nearly 80% of the work force were Selkirk area residents.

In its early days, the Selkirk Generating station was a thermal station, using a combustible fuel (originally coal, then natural gas), to create steam; the steam was then used to drive a turbine which generated electricity. In its early days, the coal used to power the turbine was brought in from Saskatchewan.

When it opened officially on October 16th, 1960 (going into commercial service the following year) the station was the second largest thermal electric generating station in Manitoba. It was designed so that it might ultimately be increased to a generating capacity of 1 million kilowatts, a total which exceeded the 1958 generating capacity of the interconnected Manitoba utilities. The plant was connected to existing hydro and thermal stations to maintain continuity of the province’s power supply.

In 2002 the station hit the gas… (for environmental reasons) converting from coal to natural gas to drive the turbines, generating about 25,000 kw per hour. In its last active years, the power station was maintained as an emergency supply for southern Manitoba in colder months, if the electricity being supplied by the other stations was not sufficient to meet the increased demand.

Beginning of the end… on July 8, 2020, Manitoba Hydro announced the decommissioning of the Selkirk Generating Station. This came about for three reasons:

1. The completion of the Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project in June 2020

2. The completion of Bipole III transmission line in July 2018

3. The Keeyask Generating Station began producing its first power in January 2021

With the additional output of these three projects the Selkirk Generating Station was no longer economically viable.

The closure of the station has saved $6M per year and reduced greenhouse emissions. Of the 33 employees who worked at the plant when it ceased its generation of electricity, some were redeployed, while some remain at the plant, engaged in its current activities.

Activities today… Manitoba hydro says that full decommissioning of the station will not be completed for several years. No decisions have been made about the physical footprint of the plant and property. Activity at the site is mainly confined to the utility’s Chemical Laboratory Services, adjacent to the former powerhouse. Chemical Laboratory Services support every aspect of Manitoba Hydro’s operations and facilities throughout the province, by testing a range of materials to determine quality, content, and potential contamination and hazards. In addition, some employees are involved in security, maintenance, heating, and fire protection.

So, when we speak of major landmarks in the Selkirk-East Selkirk area, the Manitoba Hydro Generating Station continues to be a powerful one, illustrating our slogan that….