◊ This is part of the ‘history’ series of articles ◊
Image: HEPCO 1930 Annual Report
The first large-scale electricity development in Ontario was DeCew Falls Hydroelectric Generating Station, built in 1898 by the Cataract Power Company to supply the city of Hamilton. Located in St. Catharines, it draws water from Lake Erie through the Welland Canal with a storage reservoir in Lake Gibson. It went in service with two 66⅔Hz units in 1898. The station required a transmission line utilizing the latest technology to deliver power to Hamilton. The line was 56km long and operated at 22.5kv. DeCew Falls was the first generating station in Canada to utilize ‘high voltage’ transmission to supply power using two-phase ac electricity.
The Cataract Power Company merged with the Hamilton Electric Light and Power in 1899 to leverage the extensive Hamilton electrical distribution system. The new company, the Hamilton Electric Light and Cataract Power Company bought out the Hamilton Street Railway and the Hamilton Radial Electric Railway. In 1907, the Hamilton Electric Light and Cataract Power Company had a dozen subsidiaries and was reorganized as the Dominion Power and Transmission Company.
By 1912 DeCew Falls had 5 units operating at 66⅔Hz. Dominion Power built a substantial network of 66⅔Hz transmission lines in Southern Ontario. The Dominion system was reinforced by connection to the Niagara 25Hz system through a frequency changer located in Niagara Falls. Dominion faced stiff competition from The Commission who eventually bought it in 1930.
DeCew Falls #2
A 25Hz development called DeCew Falls #2, adjacent to the original plant, went in service with two units in 1943. One of the units was relocated from Abitibi Canyon (unit 3) to manage the increased load due to World War II manufacturing demands.
As part of frequency standardization, the DeCew Falls #1 plant was converted to 60 Hz in 1950 and 1951. In 1951 the 66⅔Hz frequency was discontinued in Ontario.
The two 25Hz units at DeCew Falls #2 plant were converted to 60 Hz by 1955, completing the frequency standardization at this site.
Today, both DeCew Falls plants operate at 60 Hz with plant #1 rated for 23MW and plant #2, 144MW. They can be seen from the Bruce Trail which runs close by.
Derek
When did the DeCew Falls station start to generate 60-cycle? The Brantford Expositor of the 1930s mentions that when HEPCO purchased Dominion Power & Transmission it would convert users in Brantford from 60-cycle to 25-cycle. But wasn’t DeCew Falls was generating 66 2/3-cycles? You mention 66 2/3-cycles was discontinued in Ontario in 1951. I am trying the determine if the Expositor was incorrect or if DeCew Falls was generating both 60-cycle and 66 2/3-cycles in the 1920s. Thank you,
Hello Jack!
Thanks for you interest in the DeCew article.
Unfortunately, I can’t speculate on what frequencies DeCew operated at in the 1920s since I have never seen any official documents related to Dominion Power’s operations from that era.
HEPCO published data from DeCew after they purchased Dominion in 1930.
Here are some details from HEPCO records starting from 1930:
– HEPCO bought out Dominion Power and assumed operations of DeCew on August 14, 1930.It was claimed to have an output capacity of 52,000 horsepower at an unspecified frequency. Drawing records for 1931 show DeCew having an output of 56,400 horsepower at an unspecified frequency. Brantford distribution/municipal substations Cockshutt and Lorne were fed by DeCew. The 25 Hz Niagara System also fed some Brant area distribution and municipal stations. Ref 1931 HEPCO Annual Report.
– In 1932, HEPCO drawing records show DeCew as part of a 60 Hz system and 56,400 horsepower output. The Brantford distribution/municipal stations fed by DeCew were the same as in 1931. Ref 1932 HEPCO Annual Report.
– In 1938, Brantford still had a 60 Hz feed from DeCew and a 25 Hz feed to the Brant area from Niagara. After 1938, drawings were not included in the Annual Reports which I have access to. Ref 1938 HEPCO Annual Report
– In 1951, HEPCO stated in their annual report they discontinued the 66 2/3 Hz frequency from DeCew Falls.
That’s all the information I have from HEPCO. There is other historical information from IEEE – Hamilton Chapter and Professor Mark Csele if you want to dig deeper.
Good luck!
Derek