The old Prince George Substation on Pickering Road has been standing since 1960, but due to recently discovered health hazards, BC Hydro is being forced to demolish the building.
Spokesperson Bob Gammer also says the abandoned structure has been noted as a “hotspot” for drug stings.
“We had to come up with a plan to safely deal with the asbestos and take it down without getting anybody exposed to that hazard. Once we’ve got everything ready to go, which is the end of March, we will resume the demolition.”
While the building used to be the main power source for the city, Gammer says it was officially decommissioned in 2013 because other outlets were being constructed closer to the downtown core.
“So there was no problem handing off that loan to other substations; they can easily supply the load to customers in the city from these other stations. So this shouldn’t have a purpose anymore.”
.@bchydro PG substation was decommissioned in 2013; 57yo structure was also main power source for downtown #CityOfPG @mypgnow pic.twitter.com/2AhdRpvs5e
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) February 7, 2017
Prior to BC Hydro’s takeover, the substation was used as a diesel generating station.
Gammer says the age of the building is hard to miss.
“When we remove this, it’s a steel and concrete structure, but it’s also underground as well; sort of like a complex basement. So a lot of concrete has to come up out of the ground.”
Gammer says he’s unaware if there are any immediate plans on the area being used for other purposes, but he believes it’ll likely be left for the surrounding environment to expand.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
