The installation of four new BC Hydro submarine power cables to serve the village of Ahousaht is now complete and Ahousaht leadership look forward to the growth the upgraded electric services will bring to the community. The last length of cable was laid just prior to the community celebration held July 22.
More than 100 people attended the celebration, which included BC Hydro workers and executives. Guests were treated to a barbecue salmon lunch and cake.
Anne Atleo helped oversee the project on behalf of Ahousaht. She said the power upgrade began three years ago with Ahousaht partnering with BC Hydro. The original single submarine power line, installed in 1982, was badly frayed and close to breaking. If it broke, Ahousaht would be cut off from electricity indefinitely. An emergency generator was installed in Ahousaht as work crews laid new power cables on the ocean floor.
Ahousaht’s population on the remote Flores Island has grown from a few hundred in 1982 to more than 1,000 in 2015. The original power line was at capacity and there could be no more new housing until the system was upgraded.
Over three years, the four new submarine power lines were installed, starting in Tofino extending to Meares Island then to Vargas Island and finally to Flores Island.
The work was slow-going because it required precise placement of the four lines in BC Hydro’s 26-foot wide right-of-way. A BC Hydro spokesperson said the lines couldn’t simply be bunched together and laid at once because if something happened, like a misplaced anchor caused damage, it would take out all four lines, cutting power to Ahousaht – and repairs for an accident like that would not be easy or quick.
So the lines were placed individually, a few feet apart with the aid of submarine cameras and computer equipment aboard a huge barge bobbing in the waves.
Environmental workers were hired to ensure the landings on the islands were cleaned up and restored to the original state. An archaeologist was also hired to offer advice in case anything of archeological value was discovered along the way.
BC Hydro hired Tommy Joe Frank to serve as a paramedic aboard the barge as it laid the hydro cables. Other Ahousaht members were hired for various jobs during the project, including security and water taxi services.
Elected Chief Greg Louie said the upgraded service not only allows for the construction of much-needed new family homes but also allows Ahousaht to begin work on its long-overdue waste water treatment plant.
“The tank we have now is old and the community has outgrown its capacity and so it malfunctions a lot,” Louie said.
Ahousaht leadership has hired a consulting group to begin planning stages of the $12-million waste water treatment plant.
The improved hydroelectric power system will mean less frequent power failures for the people of Ahousaht.
