And now the view from my place on the North Shore....
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Today in history:
It was on this date in 1950 that I ran away from home to begin my career in
power stations, at a little 2-unit hydro plant belonging to the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, later known as Ontario Hydro, and now known
as Hydro One. That little plant is now under water, submerged in the lake formed by a larger development further downstream. And as I sit here this evening doing this, that summer evening 64 years ago seems like another lifetime ago, which, of course, it very nearly is. There's been a lot of water over the old dam since then. And it's been a very interesting experience. I've worked at some of the smallest and at least one of the biggest hydro-electric projects in the country, and I'm now part of history, because technological changes have rendered my old original job as a power station operator redundant, replaced by a cabinet full of electronic equipment and relays.
There used to be a full crew of shift operators working three shifts around the clock at every power station in the country, and now one central control center can run a whole province or a whole state, and they do. If something goes bad somewhere, that unit is automatically shut down until a repair and servicing crew can check it over and fix it, and its output is made up by others until it can be restarted. So yes, Virginia, time marches on, trampling everything underfoot.
Am I sad about all that? Not at all. Working shift work in some of the most remote locations known to man, often many miles from emergency medical aid or any kind of shopping facilities, is something that calls for a special kind of guy; one that either enjoys living dangerously, or one who is old enough to know better, but still young enough not to give a damn. And it's a hell of a place for the wives and children. So technology has improved all that, and I'm glad.
Would I do it all over again if I could? You can bet your sweet bippie I wouldn't.
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