BC Hydro
Peace Canyon Dam
The Dinosaur Reservoir is on the left upper left of the photo. The earth structure in the reservoir behind the dam is an anti-vortex dyke to protect the dam against debris and prevent reservoir users from getting to close to the dam for safety reasons.
Learn about BC's Most Powerful Dams
HUDSON’S HOPE – The visitor centres for BC Hydro’s W.A.C. Bennett and Peace Canyon dams are open for the summer season. The public can get tours of two of the highest producing hydroelectric dams in the province. In support of National Electricity Month, BC Hydro will offer ‘two-for-one’ admission every weekend in June.
The W.A.C. Bennett dam visitor centre offers a wide range of exhibits, an audio-visual theatre, a gift shop and café. An underground tour of the facility includes a bus ride down to the base of the dam, and a walk through the powerhouse station. The centre also features interactive displays, which show how much human energy and effort it takes to power a conventional light bulb versus a fluorescent bulb, or to power a small television.
The Peace Canyon visitor centre offers a wide range of exhibits about the history of the dam and the community of Hudson’s Hope. The displays showcase the achievements of explorers, pioneers and First Nations, and the construction of the Peace Canyon dam. The largest exhibits are about Hadrosaurs, duck-billed dinosaurs that left their tracks along the Peace River.
The W.A.C. Bennett dam and accompanying GM Shrum generating station, have an installed capacity of 2,730 megawatts, which makes it the largest hydroelectric facility in British Columbia. The W.A.C. Bennett dam is also among the world's largest earth-fill dams. The Peace Canyon facility has an installed capacity of 700 megawatts, which makes it the sixth largest hydroelectric generating facility in the province.
Both attractions are among four BC Hydro visitor centres in the province, and will remain open until Sept. 2. To learn more about the centres, please visit bchydro.com/Bennett or bchydro.com/peacecanyon or call 1-888-333-6667.
About BC Hydro
BC Hydro has been providing clean, reliable power to British Columbians for more than 50 years while maintaining among the lowest rates in North America. BC Hydro is a provincial Crown corporation that serves 1.9 million customers and invests in the electrical system and in energy conservation to deliver a safe and reliable supply of electricity for today’s customers and for generations to come.