Kootenay Lake Crossing
Encyclopedia
Kootenay Lake Crossing was a powerline crossing of Kootenay Lake
, British Columbia
, Canada
. The idea was to move electricity from the Hydro dam on the Kootenay River
at Brilliant to the Cominco Sullivan Mine at Kimberley. The most direct route was across Kootenay Lake. It was with a span
width of 3248 metres (10,656.2 ft) the longest powerline span of North America
and was fixed on two 90 metres (295.3 ft) tall electricity pylon
s. Roebling cable provided the steel support cable for the conductor. The height of conductor over Kootenay Lake was 37 metres (121.4 ft).
There was a 100 metres (328.1 ft) steel support tower on the east shore, and rock anchored shorter towers high up on the west shore. Kootenay Lake Crossing was inaugurated in 1958, but was demolished in 1962 by explosives placed by the Sons of Freedom
religious sect of the Doukhobor
s. The tower was rebuilt and the span lengthened in course. The powerline is still in operation today, but uses today on each site of the lake (for each phase a separate tower) situated at 49°42'2"N 116°51'59"W and at 49°42'29"N 116°54'44"W .
Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s-70s, has changed the ecosystem in and around the water...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The idea was to move electricity from the Hydro dam on the Kootenay River
at Brilliant to the Cominco Sullivan Mine at Kimberley. The most direct route was across Kootenay Lake. It was with a span
Span (architecture)
Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
width of 3248 metres (10,656.2 ft) the longest powerline span of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and was fixed on two 90 metres (295.3 ft) tall electricity pylon
Electricity pylon
A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...
s. Roebling cable provided the steel support cable for the conductor. The height of conductor over Kootenay Lake was 37 metres (121.4 ft).
There was a 100 metres (328.1 ft) steel support tower on the east shore, and rock anchored shorter towers high up on the west shore. Kootenay Lake Crossing was inaugurated in 1958, but was demolished in 1962 by explosives placed by the Sons of Freedom
Sons of Freedom
Sons of Freedom may refer to:*Sons of Freedom , a Doukhobor activist group in Canada in the early 1900s,*Sons of Freedom , a Canadian alternative rock band in the 1990s....
religious sect of the Doukhobor
Doukhobor
The Doukhobors or Dukhobors , earlierDukhobortsy are a group of Russian origin.The Doukhobors were one of the sects - later defined as a religious philosophy, ethnic group, social movement, or simply a "way of life" - known generically as Spiritual Christianity. The origin of the Doukhobors is...
s. The tower was rebuilt and the span lengthened in course. The powerline is still in operation today, but uses today on each site of the lake (for each phase a separate tower) situated at 49°42'2"N 116°51'59"W and at 49°42'29"N 116°54'44"W .