ROSSDALE POWER PLANT A Provincial Historic Resource by Larry Pearson Summary EPCOR's proposal to construct a new gas turbine unit at its Rossdale Power Plant in Edmonton's river valley was the subject of extensive public hearings and debate.A critical issue was EPCOR's proposal to demolish the architecturally significant /932-1954 Low Pressure Power Plant designed by Maxwell Dewar, a prominent Alberta architect. This article examines Alberta Community Development's regulatory role, its use of an historic resource impact assessment to confirm the significance of the Low Pressure Power Plant building, and its evaluation, in conjunction with the Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of Designated Historic Resources, of the appropriateness of a range of options for placement of the new unit on the site. Sommaire Le projet d'EPCOR visant la construction d'une nouvelle turbine a gaz a la centra/e Rossda/e, dans la vallee d'Edmonton, a suscite force debats et consultations publiques. L'un des aspects des de ce dossier etait qu'EPCOR proposait de demolir la centra/e a faible pression /932-/954 (1932-1954 Low Pressure Power Plant) confue par Maxwell Dewar, eminent architecte de /'Alberta. Cet article porte sur le role reg/ementaire de /'organisme de developpement communautaire Alberta Community Development, son recours a un examen de /'incidence historique pour confirmer /'importance du batiment menace et son evaluation, se/on Jes directives sur la remise en etat des ressources historiques designees (Guidelines for the Rehabilitation of Designated Historic Resources), du bien-fonde des diverses options visant /'emplacement de la nouvelle turbine. n October 17,200 I, the Alberta resources. It has the authority to order provincial historic resources where O government designated a number that assessments of the consequences preservation is in the public interest. of buildings on Edmonton's Rossdale of projects on historic resources be Registered historic resources are Power Plant site as provincial historic carried out and that salvage, preservation protected for 90 days; disturbance of resources. The structures were owned or protective measures be undertaken. provincial historic resources without by EPCOR, a private utility company. On The Act also provides for the designation the prior written approval of Alberta October 25, 200 I, EPCOR announced of historic resources as registered or Community Development is prohibited. that, as a result of this designation, it would not proceed with its proposed construction of a new gas turbine generating unit at the Rossdale Power Plant. Key for the designation was the completion of a comprehensive historical resource impact assessment establishing the significance of three of the existing structures according to provincial criteria, identifying and articulating their character­ defining features, and analyzing the impact of the proposed construction against provincial conservation standards. Alberta Community Development, operating under the Historical Resources Act,' is the department responsible for coordinating the orderly development, View from the south of the Maxwell Dewor LP Plant building at the Rossdale Power Plant site. The large multi-stacked preservation, promotion, and study and structure is the Maxwell Dewar Low Pressure Plant, its associated pump house is the smaller concrete building in the interpretation of Alberta's historic foreground adjacent to the river. The sites Administration building (also designated) is obscured by trees to the right of the LP Plant. Credit: Larry Pearson of Alberta Community Development. Plan Summer/~te 2003 ~ I Through the Guidelines for the Rehabilitation architectural interest.A site evaluated as in the hearings allowed the department of Designated Historic Resources,2 the "excellent" is considered to merit designa­ to gain first-hand knowledge of the department provides guidance on the tion as a Provincial Historic Resource. public's concern regarding the project's sensitive treatment of designated impact on heritage resources. Whiting also reviewed four options for heritage resources. the placement of the new generating In making their final arguments to the In January 1999, EPCOR's proposal to unit on the site using Alberta's "Criteria Energy Board hearings, department staff develop a new gas turbine generator at for the Protection of Historic Resources" concurred with Whiting's two principal its Rossdale site triggered an environmental outlined in the Guidelines. Critical to recommendations.As a result, designation impact assessment. The project involved the application of the criteria were the of the historic generating plant, adminis­ the construction of a large gas turbine report's clearly written "heritage character tration building and pump house as unit on the site and the demolition of statements" and "heritage character­ provincial historic resources would be the Rossdale generating plant (Figure I) defining features" for each of the recommended. The department would built between 1938 and 1954. The site buildings determined to have heritage also recommend that ministerial approval was listed as an "A" category site on significance. The resulting analysis be given for demolishing only the portions the City of Edmonton's Register of concluded that while all four options of the historic plant necessary to enable Historic Resources. The proposal also called would have a significant impact on the construction of the new unit.Alberta for significant excavation work in an historic plant, consideration should be Community Development's position in area that might possibly be the site of given to a plan that would see demolition this regard reflected criteria 4, Historic early versions of Fort Edmonton ( 180 I minimized to that essential for the Character, in the department's Guidelines: onward), which represents the first construction of the new generating unit. 'The distinctive qualities and character of European settlement in the area. In a site should be preserved. The removal addition early, deeply buried, prehistoric "The distinctive qualities or alteration of any historic materials or archaeological material might be and character of a site features should be avoided whenever encountered. Owing to the significance possible:'2 <P- 1•l of the buildings on the site (as evidenced should be preserved. The On May 8, 200 I , the Energy Board by the City of Edmonton's "A" listing) removal or alteration of approved EPCOR's application for a and the high probability of encountering any historic materials or 170-megawatt natural-gas-fired turbine archaeological material, EPCOR was features should be avoided at the Rossdale Power Plant. The Energy formally required to undertake two 2 14 Board concluded that the consequences historical resource impact assessments whenever possible." <P• > related to the project's impact on in conjunction with the environmental archaeological and architectural resources assessment. The purpose of one of the The archaeological study confirmed that would be properly regulated by Alberta assessments was to deal with the the site possessed significant archaeological Community Development. significance and consequences of potential resources dating from the earliest Fort mitigation strategies for the site's 1930 Edmonton, including palisade lines and On June 18, 200 I, Alberta Community administration building, 1938 pump cellar depressions. It also indicated that Development issued a "notice of intention" house and the generating plant. The aim the extensive and long-term use of the to designate the historic buildings at the of the second assessment was to assess site for industrial purposes had affected Rossdale Site as provincial historical the potential impact on the site's these resources significantly. In the end, resources. The Notice of Intention was archaeological resources. Of the two, the government's position was that the the subject of a hearing before the Alberta the architectural study dealing with the remains of the early Fort Edmonton Historical Resources Foundation Board historic structures was most influential were in such a disturbed context that of Directors on August 27 and 28, 200 I. in the site's designation. their designation would not be in the EPCOR and Alberta Community public interest. Development were two of 15 groups Architect David Whiting, following Alberta that made representations to the Board. Community Development research From October 17 to November 3, 2000, The Historical Resources Act states that, guidelines, completed the study of the and from January 9 to 19,200 I, EPCOR's "If the Foundation after hearing structures located at the Rossdale Plant application to develop the new project representations recommends that the in 1999. His report evaluated the was the subject of public hearings before Minister proceed with the proposed significance of the Rossdale buildings the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board. designation, then the Minister may and concluded that, "The Low Pressure Information presented during the hearings proceed ... "•(~ 1•l The nature of the Board's Plant including the Boiler House, Turbine included the results of the environmental House, Switch House, Pumphouse #I, assessment, the historical resource recommendations to the minister are and the Administration Building represent impact assessment, and submissions from confidential. an important collection of structures approximately 20 interveners.Alberta Throughout June and July 200 I, government related to the history