The smokestacks and remaining structures at the former Lambton Generating Station near Courtright came down Saturday morning in an implosion, according to Ontario Power Generation.
Traffic on roads in a large area around the site located next to the St. Clair River was halted Saturday morning while the structures were imploded by the demolition contractor. Ship traffic on the river was also paused.
“The three stacks and the boilers came down at 7:42 am,” said Neal Kelly, with Ontario Power Generation.
“It went as planned,” he said. “We had the weather conditions that we needed.”
The former Lambton Generating Station began burning coal to make electricity in 1969 and shut down in 2013, following the province’s decision to phase out coal power.
“It really is the end of an era,” Kelly said. “This is the last of the big coal facilities that operated in Ontario for many, many decades.”
A company hired by Ontario Power Generation began demolition at the site in the fall of 2018, but the work stopped in April 2020 and a second company, Delsan-AIM Environmental Services, was selected in 2021 to complete the work.
Ontario Power Generation’s Nanticoke station, near Lake Erie, came down in 2019 and the Lakeview station, near Lake Ontario, was demolished a few years before.
“Lambton Generating Station was a big part of the St. Clair Township and Sarnia area community for about 40 years,” and its employees “helped keep the lights on, not only in that area but across the province,” Kelly said.
Spectators on the Michigan side of the river had the best view of the implosion and this video was posted on Facebook Saturday.
“It’s officially on the ground, as of this morning,” he said.
“It’s a bit bitter-sweet, but on the other hand it’s all about moving to a cleaner future.”
Kelly said 2014 was the last year coal was burned in Ontario to generate electricity and “today almost all of our generation is emission-free.”
He said the contractor worked with emergency agencies in the area to ensure there was no traffic moving nearby.
“We waited several days for the ideal weather conditions, and once we got them we could bring it down safely,” Kelly said.
“The stacks and the boilers landed exactly where they were supposed to land.”
Neighbors living near the site in the largely rural area of St. Clair Township were given the option of staying in their homes during the implosion, Kelly said.
“We had great co-operation from everybody in the area,” he said.
Work by the contractor will continue at the site for some time, Kelly said.
“It will take some time to clear the site” that is expected to be a “brownfield site” once all of the demolition work is completed, he said.
Hydro One has an active switchyard there that will continue to operate, Kelly said.
He said it was important the switchyard was protected during the implosion, “which is was.”
“The switchyard plays a vital role in keeping the lights on in the area,” Kelly said.
Ontario Power Generation will continue to own the property where the station stood.
“We’ll still be working with the community as we determine what to do with the site,” Kelly said.