Power to the People

Along the ferry route between Saltery Bay and Earl's Cove you will see power lines spanning high over Jervis Inlet. On Google maps you can follow the path of the lines carrying much needed power from the Powell Lake dam south to the Vancouver area.

High on a ridge just east of the Saltery Bay ferry terminal you'll see the northern starting point for the wire span and then the ferry passes under the three heavy cables crossing the watery expanse. Each of the cables has large orange marker balls attached to them. These balls help low-flying aircraft see the nearly invisible cables in enough time to avoid a collision. They are clearly marked on aviation charts, but the extra visual precaution can prevent accidents.

What you can't see on the Google map is the new power line coming in from Toba Inlet. It's from the new run-of-river green energy project being installed by Plutonic Power. A new swath of bare ground and with tall power lines heads south from the remote fjord to join the grid here near Saltery Bay. There's quite a bit of controversy on both sides about this project. No matter which side you take, you have to give them credit for a huge undertaking. Click here to see video of how the new power cable is put in place by helicopter. - Margy