Clippings and Comments about the Hydro Dam

Photo the old Hydro Dam– 1962 Larry Clark
There was once a famous hypnotist that came to Carleton Place often and his name was Pauline! If you want to read about him click here..
The great Pauline came to Carleton Place a few times a year as it was noted in many of our local area newspapers. One day he had one of his subjects(no word if the subject was local) sit for 7 or 8 hours in the window of the Preston Drugstore. That evening when he performed in the Opera Hall of our Carleton Place Town Hall the woman he had chosen as his subject returned to normalcy. The Carleton Place Herald marveled at his talent. I am personally wondering if she was in Pauline’s employ. But what a great marketing ploy that was to sell tickets to his show.
But, did you know that hypnotism sessions were held in H. Brown and Sons electrical power house too? It was noted that several well known citizens of Carleton Place took part in these private events at the power plant that used to be where St. James park was once situated.

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
19 Oct 1907, Sat  •  Page 24

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
27 Sep 1907, Fri  •  Page 12

Construction of a hydro electric power plant was begun by H. Brown & Sons at the former site of the Canada Lumber Company mills, after several years of preparation of the riverbed including tailrace excavation and building of a concrete millpond dam. 1909

Bill LemayI went over the falls more than once. there was a spot at the bottom of the falls called the bubble bath. swimming and lots of fun

Donna McfarlaneDad wentover the falls in a 23 foot inboard boat.. the motor failed. the men from Findlays dressed as undertakers etc and had a parade after the boat was pulled out over to lake avenue and frank where my parents lived.. Annie M was the name of the boat.. Dad still had the signs at the time of our fire…

Donna Mcfarlanethis was april 23 1945

Sunday, October 21, 1928-Photo From the Millie Aitkenhead collection- by the old hydro damn- St. James in the backgroundSunday, October 21, 1928-Photo From the Millie Aitkenhead collection- by the old hydro damn- St. James in the background

March 1968 down at the old Hydro Dam-Randy Amyotte as the hero.

Dan WilliamsHad to be 1968 ’cause we were still swimming there and jumping from that tree long after 1962. We were not too pleased that they cut it down either!

Down by the old power house–In 1909 Construction of a hydro electric power plant was begun by H. Brown & Sons at the former site of the Canada Lumber Company mills, after several years of preparation of the riverbed including tailrace excavation and building of a concrete millpond dam.. Photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

Llew Lloyd That was another one of the daredevil jumps. If I remember correctly there were hydro wires to jump through as well . We also used to walk up the outlet below and jump into the flume from there . The area we called the bubble bath was off the dam shown in the forefront of the original picture . It was a great playground . Once you got tired of swimming you got out your fishing rod .

Photo Llew Loyd

The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
08 Jul 1937, Thu  •  Page 3

1972

Ontario Hydro is not particularly concerned about the condition of the 66-year-old dam on the Mississippi River at Carleton Place, despite the worries of the town’s Hydro commission. The cracks along the top of the dam and holes being eroded by a steady cascade of water is giving the local commission the jitters. Carleton Place hydro commission chairman Willis Armour fears that a major rupture could come some spring when there’s a heavy water runoff by day and freezing temperatures at night. Such conditions, he says, could cause the present fissures in the dam to expand and cause a break. The Mississippi River would- be “nothing but a swamp” if the dam broke, he said Friday.

The town of Almonte and Appleton below the dam could be flooded. Norm Manning, public relations officer for Ontario Hydro, said Friday an engineering study carried out on the aging concrete structure last spring shows the dam, although cracked and chipped, is structurally sound. “There are a few leaks, admittedly,” he said, “ but we have been assured that the dam is perfectly sound.” Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority resources manager Alex Ansel said Friday a detailed study has been carried out by Ontario Hydro which operates the dam to control water levels in the Mississippi watershed, and its report was expected in the next few months

Also Read

A Carleton Place Tale to Send Shivers Up Your Arm — The Sad Tale of Margaret Violet King

The Power of the Mississippi River Dam in Carleton Place

hotograph courtesy of Carol Nicholson. Circa 1910.–Roy Brown’s father had the first hydroelectric dam and generating station built in 1910 to provide the electricity to power his flour mill, which was located directly across the river from it. It continued to provide power to the town of Carleton Place until the 1970s, when it was demolished

The Power of the Mississippi River Dam in Carleton Place

1902 – The closed Carleton Place sawmills and upper Mississippi reserve dams of the Canada Lumber Company were bought by H. Brown & Sons for water conservation and power development uses.

In 1909 Construction of a hydro electric power plant was begun by H. Brown & Sons at the former site of the Canada Lumber Company mills, after several years of preparation of the riverbed including tailrace excavation and building of a concrete millpond dam.

In July of 1937 Carleton Place resident Lionel Bigras saved the life of 6-year-old Margaret Violet King, daughter of Mrs. Clifford King. Young Margaret fell into the Mississippi River near the hydro plant about 200 yards from the town bridge early in the afternoon. BIgras dived three times into 15 feet of water to bring the child to the surface. CPR was performed by Wilfrid Bigras, employee at the Hydro plant, a cousin of the rescuer. Doctors Johnson and James of Carleton Place took charge as soon as they arrived at the scene. The Carleton Place girl was brought to the Ottawa Civic hospital where she miraculously recovered from her experience. Sadly, her father Clifford King, had lost his life by drowning in the Mississippi Lake only a year previous. But sad to say, the story did not end there.

Photos from Google Image and The Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

Tara Gesner, our beloved reporter from The Carleton Place Canadian, has sent me a picture of the medal that Wilfred Bigras received that day for saving the Margaret King’s life. Linda Gesner, her mother-in-law, still has the medal. Wilfred Bigras was Tara’s husband’s great great grandfather.  Thank you Tara for showing this to me!

Buy Linda Secaspina’s Books— Flashbacks of Little Miss Flash Cadilac– Tilting the Kilt-Vintage Whispers of Carleton Place and 4 others on Amazon or Amazon Canada or Wisteria at 62 Bridge Street in Carleton Place