The lights have gone out in the city’s oldest electrical substation.
Nelson Hydro shut down the substation, which is located at Josephine and Victoria Streets, on Thursday afternoon. It had been in operation since 1949, but was part of a project begun in 1985 to upgrade the city to higher voltage.
Nelson Hydro general manager Alex Love said the shut down should be a celebration.
“I kind of see it as another stage in our history,” said Love.
“Yes, it’s the end of this substation, but on the other hand we just built a brand, shiny new one in Rosemont a few years ago, which will probably serve us for 50-odd years yet.”
The station, which used equipment dating back to the 1930s, was a 4,000 volt distribution system. That’s a far cry from the modern substations, which are 25,000 volt systems.
Mike Amos, a retired operations manager with Nelson Hydro, said he expects the city will save about $40,000 annually in line losses by shutting down the site.
There are no announced plans for what will become of the site once Nelson Hydro cleans it out.