Historic & Heritage Sites
Heritage buildings (Picture BC photo)
Visit the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and the Peace Canyon Dam located on the Peace River near Hudson's Hope.
Building the W.A.C. Bennett Dam began in 1962 and was completed six years later in 1968. It was named for William Andrew Cecil Bennett, who was the Premier of British Columbia from 1952 to 1972. The dam is 21km/13mi west of Hudson's Hope along Canyon Drive and is well marked by signs.
The Peace Canyon Dam (5km/16mi southwest of Hudson's Hope on Hwy 29) is farther downstream. Turn right and drive 1.5km/4.9mi further to the dam's visitor centre. Built over six years, Peace Canyon Dam was completed in 1980.
W.A.C. Bennett Dam
Hourly underground tours of the dam are offered roughly between May and September for a small fee. Tours include a bus ride down to the base of the dam, and a walk through the facility including the turbines where water rushes through.
Read More
Check out the excellent interactive displays at the dam's visitor centre, located above the generating station. See how much energy and effort it takes to produce enough electricity to power a conventional light bulb versus a fluorescent bulb, or to power a small television.
Williston Lake, created by the dam, is the largest man-made reservoir in BC, held by one of the largest earth filled dams in the world. It is 2km/1.2mi long, 183m/600ft deep, 800m/2,625ft wide at the base, and 9m/30ft wide at the top. Before building the dam, naturalists discovered fossilized trackways along the Peace River in the canyon rocks.
Peace Canyon Dam
Peace Canyon dam has a museum-like display area, with two life-size replicas of Hadosaurs, or duck-billed dinosaurs. Hadosaurs are just one type of dinosaur that left tracks along the Peace River. There are other interesting displays depicting history in the area, including miniature replicas of logging, sternwheelers, and more.
Peace Canyon Dam and W.A.C. Bennett Dam contribute 1/3 of all electrical power generated in BC. The tours and brochures for both of these dams offer a variety of interesting facts and figures. Peace Canyon Dam includes free self-guided tours as well as directed tours for groups.
Contact the Hudson's Hope Visitor Centre for more information about tour schedules and fees.
Read Less