ELECTRIC SPACE: SOCIAL and NATI.]RAL TRANSFORMATIONS in BRITISH COLI.IMBIA' S Frydroelectric INDUSTRY to WORLD WAR II

ELECTRIC SPACE: SOCIAL AND NATI.]RAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN BRITISH COLI.IMBIA' S FryDROELECTRIC INDUSTRY TO WORLD WAR II BY BRUCE STADFELD A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies In Paftial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPFry Department of History University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Bruce Stadfeld, December, 2002 t*l n¡$ona.r-iurav !f[i|;.å" nationare Acquisitions and Acquisitions et B'rbiiographicservices servicesbibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaON KlAOt.l4 OttawaON KlA0N4 Ganada Canacb le Voue rálámca Our ñle Ilo¡re élérenæ The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fiIm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. 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Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial exfracts from it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent êne imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sâns son permission. autorisation. 0-612-79895-X Canadä THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES *{<*** COPYRIGHT PERMISSION PAGE ELECTRIC SPACE: SOCIAL AND NATURAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN BRITISH COLT]MBIA'S HYDROELECTRIC INDUSTRY TO WORLD WAR II BY BRUCE STADFELD A Thesis/Practicum submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial fi¡Ifillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy BRUCE STADFELD O 2OO2 Permission has been granted to the Library of The University of Manitoba to lend or sell copies of this thesis/practicum, to the National Library of Canada to microfilm this thesis and to lend or sell copies of the film, and to University Microfilm Inc. to publish an abstract of this thesis/practicum. The author reserves other publication rights, and neither this thesis/practicum nor extensive extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's written permission. Abstract The following study analyzes the interrelationship of the social and natural transformations effected by the development of hydroelectricity in British Columbia to World War II. The analysis is grounded in the literature on energy transitions and large-scale technological systems. It employs Henri Lefebvre's theory of the production of space to support its central argument that the production of electric space was characterized by several key factors: the concentration of the control society's energy sources in large corporations; increased space-time compression to meet the requirements of hydroelectric supply and demand; the imposition of electricity demand patterns on the natural rhythms of rivers dammed for hydroelectricity; the fetishi zafionof energy; the increased discipline and control of different segments of society to facilitate both the production and consumption of electricity; the encouragement of the development of a suburban middle-class reliant on energy-intensive technologies. The study begins with a theoretical discussion of the literature on hydroelectricity and river development. Chapter 2 outlines the history of early, small-scale hydroelectric projects in British Columbia which were locally controlled and required little capital, engineering expertise or centralized management. By World War II these small facilities had been superseded and marginalized by large-scale, capital-intensive, corporate facilities. Chapter 3 is a case study of the development of hydroelectricity in British Columbia's Kootenay region. It traces the evolution of succeeding spatial formations, from Native space, to agricultural space to electric space. Chapter 4 explains how the electric industry's efforts to increase the consumption of electricity led to the transformation of public and private space in the city. Chapter 5 explains how the introduction of electricity created new hazards and how the electric industry sought to minimize concerns about realhazards while capitalizing on perceived hazards to increase demand for electricity. Chapter 6 summarizes the study's findings. Table of Contents Abstract Table of Contents............. .................. iii List of Illustrations............ ................. iv Acknowledgements ............. vii Chapter L lntroduction: Energy andAlienation .................. 1 Chapter 2. Corporate Space: The Growth of Large-Scale Hydroelectricity in British Columbia to V/orld War II ........ 5l Chapter 3. Productive Space: Hydroelectricity and the Kootenay River....... ............. 110 Chapter 4. Consumer Space: B.C. Electric's Promotion of Electricity........... ............. 165 Chapter 5.Hazard Space: Hydroelectricity's Real and Perceived Dangers ..............230 Chapter 6. Conclusion: Electric Space in British Columbia ................292 Appendix A: British Columbia Hydroelectric Plants to 1914..............302 Appendix B: British Columbia Hydroelectric Plants to 1939..............305 Bibliography............ ............ 309 llt List of Illustrations Figure 2.1: Floating Undershot Waterwheel ........54 Figure 2.2:}Jydraulic Mining at Big Bend, B.C. ........ .........57 Figure 2.3: Cottonwood Falls........ ...... 60 Figure 2.4:Barrier Dam, c. 1915.............. ............ 84 Figure 2.5: Goldstream Powerhouse, c. 1920 ...... 85 Figure 2.6:Yictoria Area Hydroelectric Plants ....88 Figure 2.7: Jordan River Dam and Flume, c. 1920 .............. 90 Figure 2.8: Monthly Precipitation, Jordan River Watershed, 1940......92 Figure 2.9: Iordan River Generating Station Output, 1940..................93 Figure 2.10: Construction of Buntzen Tunnel, circa 1902................... 96 Figure 2.11: Buntzen Powerhouse #2 on Indian Arm, c. 1920............ 98 Figure 2.12: Vancouver Area Hydroelectric Developments ................ 102 Figure 2.I3: Bridge River development in relation to Vancouver....... 105 Figure 2.I4: Generatin g Capacity in kilowatts of British Columbia Hydroelectric Plants to World War II ...... 108 Figure 2.15 Generating Capacity by Operator ............ ........ 109 Figure 3 . I : Mountain Ranges of British Columbia .............................. 1 I 5 Figure 3.2: "Native Space": Sinixt and Ktunaxa Subsistence Cycles circa 1800........ ........ ll9 Figure 3.3: "Agricultural Space"..... .... 133 tv Figure 3.4: The state's and Baillie-Grohman's vision for the Kootenay Valley, 1885 ........ .... 135 Figure 3.5: Historical water levels on KootenayLake ......... l6l Figure 4.1: B.c. Electric vancouveÍ aÍeabillboard, circa 1928.......... l9l Figure 4.2: Y ancouver electric cooking school, Ig27 .......................... 203 Figure 4.3:8.C. Electric and Vancouver Gas Window Display, circa 1920 .......... ....211 Figure 4.4:Early prize winning design for an 'Electric Home' ...........21g Figure 4.5: Vancouver area Red Seal Home,1932 .............221 Figure 4.6: Interior of Vancouver's First 'Electric Home,,lg2T ........223 Figure 4.7:Floor plan for Victoria'Electric Home', 1928..................225 Figure 5.1 : Sign warning fishermen of the dangers of fishing below the Stave Falls dam, 1928...... .......238 Figure 5.2: Equipped with Electric Light....... .....243 Figure 5.3: B.C. Electric Vancouver area billboard, circa 1925 ..........248 Figure 5.4: Advertisement for the "Better Home-lighting Campaign."...... ..............25I Figure 5.5: Advertisement for "Better Light, Better Sight" Campaign .......254 Figure 5.6: Radio Aerials and Transmission Poles .............259 Figure 5.7: Intersection of Canall and Water Streets, Vancouver, May 1886........ ................267 Figure 5.8: Hastings Street in 1905 ....272 Figure 5.9: A 1923 reminder from B.C. Electric............ ......281 V Figure 5.10: B.C. Electric advertisement........... ..284 Figure 5.1 I : A safety platform at the intersection of Hastings and Abbott Streets ................289 Figure 6.1:Map ofNERC Regions .....299 vl Acknowledgements As with any work of sustained effort, this dissertation has its own history of assistance, encouragement and friendship. During the research phase I received assistance from Shawn Lamb at the Nelson Museum, Jean Southey at the British Columbia Archives, George Brandak at University of British Columbia, Special Collections and Patricia Crawford at BC Hydro. When my computer system failed me or I stumbled in my calculations, it was my good friend Ken Kuryliw who set me straight. Funding to conduct my research, and present my frndings at academic conferences, came from the Canadian Historical Association, the British Columbia Heritage Trust, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the University of Manitoba which was exceptionally supportive. I also had the good fortune to receive a fellowship from the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program which allowed me to spend an academic year studying in the United States. Richard White and his students, especially Matt Klingle, welcomed me at the University of Washington while Don Worster and his students made me feel like I'd found a second home at the University of Kansas. I'm indebted to Kip Curtis and Neil Maher who literally did share a home with me in Kansas, as well as many late-night

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