Stories from Tri-City News headlines of decades past is a recurring feature as the publication marks its 40th anniversary in 2024.
A recommended $270-million upgrade of the Burrard Thermal generating plant on Port Moody’s north shore would help secure its future in the province’s energy grid.
But a public policy group said it also favours the bottom line over public health and clean air.
Stuart Herzog, of Energy Watch, said the upgrade plan ignores other options to extend the life of existing sources for electricity.
He said while the plant’s use of natural gas to generate electricity might be cheap, it’s also the biggest single source of carbon dioxide emissions in British Columbia that contribute to climate change.
"We think Burrard is very significant in terms of what’s happening globally, but the government doesn’t seem to do anything about that," Herzog said.
In advance of two public meetings to consider the increased role of the 35-year-old power plant, BC Hydro threw open the doors of the hulking facility anchored into granite, showing off to the public its giant 15-ton overhead cranes, six-storey smokestacks and six turbines — only one of which could produce enough electricity to power all the homes and businesses in a city six times the size of New Westminster.
Construction on the plant began in 1958, but by the time the sixth turbine was being completed in 1974, demand for the power it could generate was already levelling off while the price of the fuel needed to run it was increasing.
In other words, it’s a dinosaur, Herzog said.
“Now we have to start looking at things like conservation so we can get more out of the generating capacity that we’ve got.”
The Tri-City News has covered civic affairs, local crime, festivals, events, personalities, sports and arts in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody since 1983. Bound back issues of the paper are available at the Coquitlam Archives, while digital versions of several past years can be found at issuu.com.
