On Sunday we decided to go for an adventure. We drove north to Prince Albert along Fish Creek Road which took us by Ukrainian Catholic parish of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
and further north, the famous Fish Creek Church
After heading through Prince Albert and the Nisbet Provincial Forest, we ended up at our final destination, La Colle Falls Hydroelectric Dam. The dam is mentioned in Saskatchewan Scenic Drives but we forgot the book at home. Luckily Google Maps knew where it was and gave us turn by turn directions all of the way from Prince Albert.
La Colle Falls Hydroelectric Dam is a partially complete hydroelectric dam built by the City of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The dam is located on the North Saskatchewan river approximately 45 kilometres east of the city in an area that inaccessible. Construction started in 1909 and the partially complete project was abandoned in 1913 due to high costs and technical difficulties. The motivation of building the dam was to provide cheap power and attract business to the area. The partially complete project had cost nearly $3 million and nearly bankrupted the city in the process.
The hike into it involves going down a steep path through the brush for about a mile. Then you come across some massive cement structures that would have been a lock system for boats. The dam stretches out about half the river and is still in good repair although the locks are full of stagnant water and rotting trees.
It was a long walk but fun. We ran into others on their way down and back, including some teens with a ladder to climb the walls and I assume get out on the dam part.
If I was the city of Prince Albert, I would but some money into the site and make it a little easier to get into like what Saskatoon has done with Cranberry Flats.
Oh yeah, one more thing, here is the backpack the guys got me.