Watch as old Lambton, Ont., generating station demolished by implosion
The former Lambton Generating Station (LGS) is now rubble after a successful implosion Saturday morning.
At 7:45 a.m., Ontario Power Generation (OPG) took down the smokestacks and remaining structures in Courtright, Ont.
"We needed ideal weather conditions and today was favourable, so we safely brought down the three stacks and the core boilers," says Neal Kelly, spokesperson for OPG.
Demolition of the site began in 2018 but was halted in 2020. Delsan I.A.M Environmental Services completed the work after being hired last year.
"They're an excellent demolition company that has a lot of experience," says Kelly. "We used them to bring own our colal generating station at Nanticoke on the North Shore Lake Erie a few years ago. They did an excellent job there, and they did an excellent job here,” he said.
LPG was a four-unit station 2000 that provided a lot of power for the southwest part of the province.
The coal-fired station opened in 1969 and closed in 2013 when OPG was shutting down its coal facilities.
Kelly says in 2005 about 25 per cent of Ontario's electricity was coal-powered, and by 2014 it was down to zero.
"It was big part of the of the St. Clair Township area for many years," says Kelly. "At its peak we had upwards of 900 employees there so it's a big employer in the area. We have a lot of retirees that still live in the area and we thank them for their service over the years and to help helping provide safe, reliable power."
Kelly says cleanup will continue on what will eventually become a brownfield industrial site.
"It's a valuable piece of property and it's uniquely situated as well," says Kelly. "Hydro One has a switchyard that is on the site, and it's an active switchyard and that is needed to safely get the power out. It will be an electricity site, but we'll decide what we do with it over the coming months.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We've been here before': Trudeau says Canada will prioritize interests in potential U.S. trade renegotiation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that if the next U.S. president re-opens trade negotiations for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Canada will prioritize its own interests.
B.C. billionaire posts third large sign criticizing NDP ahead of the election
British Columbia billionaire Chip Wilson has put up yet another billboard message to voters, his third post outside his multimillion-dollar mansion in NDP Leader David Eby's own riding.
Missing father, kids spotted in New Zealand wilderness 3 years after disappearance: police
A New Zealand man who disappeared with his three children in 2021 was spotted on a farm along the country's northwest coast, police say.
WATCH LIVE NOW Deadly Old Montreal fire: police arrest two suspects aged 18 and 20
Montreal police have arrested two young adults in connection with the deadly fire in Old Montreal last week that killed two people.
Former public safety minister didn't know about delayed spy warrant, he tells inquiry
Former public safety minister Bill Blair denies having any knowledge about delays in approving a spy service warrant in 2021 that may have included references to people in his own government.
'It went horribly wrong': DNA analysis sheds light on lost Arctic expedition's grisly end
Archaeologists have identified the cannibalized remains of a senior officer who perished during an ill-fated 19th century Arctic expedition, offering insight into its lost crew's tragic and grisly final days.
Winnipeggers arrested after images surface of cats being tortured, killed
Two Winnipeggers have been arrested after images and videos were posted online of animals being tortured and killed.
Partial remains of British climber believed found 100 years after Everest ascent
The partial remains of a British mountaineer who might -- or might not -- have been one of the first two people to climb Mount Everest are believed to have been found a century after their ascent of the world's highest peak, according to an expedition led by National Geographic.
Al Pacino says being a new dad at 84 is a 'mini miracle'
Al Pacino is enjoying being a late-in-life dad. The legendary actor talked about being a father to a brood, including to 16-month-old Roman with producer Noor Alfallah.