The cabin is open to all campsite users and is also equipped with picnic tables and a wood stove. The turbine uses the river’s current to produce electricity, which is then run through a submarine cable to a small cabin. River turbines have also been installed at campgrounds in Banff and Kootenay National Parks.Īt Whirlpool Campground, the spinning hydrokinetic turbine is attached to rocks at the bottom of the river by a single anchor, however, there is also a back-up anchor in case the first lets go. “We’ve partnered with Hosteling International because they already have solar systems at Athabasca Falls-we’ve just plugged a turbine into their existing system,” said Blake. He said the hostel was also chosen because it already uses alternative energy sources. “Snaring, for example, had good flow, but it was really far away from where we needed power…it just wasn’t practical.” We really looked at all the elements-visitor experience, ecological values and practicality,” Blake said. “All the sites were evaluated through Parks Canada’s impact assessment process. In Jasper they assessed, Snaring, Kerkeslin, Jonas, and areas around Sunwapta, Maligne Lake and Whirlpool Campground before picking two locations–Whirlpool Campground and the HI-Athabasca Falls Wilderness Hostel. Since 2015, the two partners have been working together to find the best places to install the turbines. Through the federal government’s Build in Canada Innovation Program, Parks Canada and Idénergie, a Quebec-based electric company, teamed up to install several river turbines throughout Canada’s mountain parks as part of a larger pilot project. “What’s really nice is that this project doesn’t require any pipes or dams.” “It’s very basic services providing a little LED lighting and a place where people can charge their phones,” said Steve Blake, special projects coordinator for Parks Canada. Thanks to the powerful current of the Whirlpool River and a newly installed river turbine, campers will now be able to cook under a light after the sun goes down and charge their electronic devices. (This article is reproduced here with the kind permission of the author.)įormerly known as an off-grid campsite, visitors might be in for a surprise next time they head to Jasper’s Whirlpool Campground. Kayla Byrne, from the Jasper Fitzhugh newspaper wrote an interesting article that sums up what we did last summer.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |