Lequille Hydro Plant
I took a little side trip to see if I could find the hydro generating plant that was downhill of a surge tower that I spotted while heading home from a trip to Annapolis Royal. Sure enough, I wound up at the Lequille Hydro Plant.
The Lequille Hydro System consists of three storage reservoirs and a three-mile canal that diverts water flow to a concrete intake structure. A wood stave penstock attached to the intake structure conveys water to the hydroelectric generating facility, which contains a water wheel connected to a 13 megawatt generator.
The Lequille powerhouse was widely celebrated when it first opened in 1968 as it was constructed close to the site of the first water-powered flour mill north of Mexico.
I saw a plaque and had to check it…
Sieur de Poutrincourt had a water-mill erected on the Lequille River near here early in 1607 to make flour for the settlers at Port Royal.
The building that houses the power plant is a recreation of what is thought to look like Poutrincourt’s Mill.