A $75-million redevelopment of the High Falls generating station has been approved and work was to begin in April.
The new power station is planned for the opposite bank of the Michipicoten River from the existing station. It will have nearly double the capacity of the existing 26-megawatt station and it will be a modern structure with two penstocks. It will also have a new intake structure at the northwest end of the dam structure.
Work on the project was to begin in April and will continue for an estimated 18 months.
The contract has been awarded to McNamara-AMEC Joint Venture. McNamara Construction was also the general contractor for the Magpie River project in Wawa in the early 1990s.
An estimated 300,000 hours of employment will result from the High Falls generating station redevelopment. About 240,000 hours will be direct employment on construction; the balance will be employment on the manufacturing of equipment for the station.