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VIDEO: Second surge tower at Campbell River hydroelectric project comes down

One of the three defunct towers to remain standing at John Hart project
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The second surge tower at BC Hydro’s John Hart project in Campbell River was successfully toppled on July 25. Photo provided

The second surge tower at BC Hydro’s John Hart facility in Campbell River has fallen.

The planned toppling of the tower went off without a hitch this morning, with explosives detonating shortly after 9:30 a.m. this morning.

“We had a 450-metre safety closure radius around the surge towers so there was no public or worker access leading up to the blast,” said BC Hydro Stakeholder Engagement Advisor Stephen Watson. “We’re very pleased with the results.”

The second of three iconic white towers fell as planned in the same manner as the first tower on July 12.

Watson said people living or travelling near the site would have heard the same sound as earlier this month.

The tower was 90 metres tall and weighed about 600 tons.

The third tower will remain in place. It is still in good condition, has communications equipment and is a visual aid to the airport.

Watson said there is also heritage value in keeping the last tower standing.

The trio of towers were in operation from 1947 to 2018. They protected the 1.8-km long penstocks that led from the dam to the generating station from short duration water pressure changes that occur when the flow is increased or decreased.

The old John Hart facility was officially shut down last year and was replaced with a new underground hydroelectric facility.

The old facility is being removed.

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