October 6, 1904
An Article in the Daily Colonist
Read carefully - this one is a doozy!
More About Scheme to Erect Big Power Works on Vancouver Island
The B.C. Electric Railway Company, which is the largest individual industrial concern in British Columbia, having extensive street line systems in New Westminster, Vancouver, and Victoria, with the interurban line on the mainland, is having incorporated another subsidiary company, similar to the Vancouver Power Company, says the News-Advertiser of yesterday.
The work of this latter organization at Lake Beautiful, where before the ultimate completion next May, about $2,000,000 will be spent, is familiar to the people of Vancouver. Work of a similar character, though not on so extensive a scale, is to be conducted on Vancouver Island, near Victoria. To obtain an increase of electric force, the Victoria Power Company has been formed with authority to issue debentures to the value of $750,000.
The scheme contemplated is to dam the Koksilah River or any of the small lakes therein, and the 5,000 miner's inches of water thus obtained will be diverted into Shawnigan Lake, across the outlet of which a small weir is to be constructed to regulate the flow of water from the lake, and to conserve it for dry seasons. It is calculated to obtain 2,000 miner's inches of water altogether, which will be conveyed from Shawnigan Lake to Mill Bay, on Saanich Inlet, 375 feet, where the power house will be situated. The energy thus obtained will be used for industrial, lighting, and street railway service in Victoria and Esquimalt. The work will be started as soon as possible and will be completed in a couple of years.
It has been announced that the Victoria Terminal Railway, operating between Sidney and Victoria, is to be run by electric power. This is owned really by the Great Northern Railway Company.
If the C.P.R. favorably considers the proposition of the B.C. Electric Railway Company, considerable mileage will be added to its system. The B.C. Electric Railway Company some time ago made an offer, which has been under consideration by the C.P.R., and when Sir Thomas Shaughnessy, president of the road, was here a few weeks ago, he went over the line in view of this proposition having been submitted.
It has been rumored that the B.C. Electric Railway Company was going to take over the Lulu Island road at the first of the year, but the general manager, Mr. J. R. Britton, yesterday stated that this was not so. Even if the C.P.R. accepted the offer, he said, it would be six or eight months before his company would be in a position to operate the line.
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