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Dam Construction

Muscle, Rock, Concrete, Wood and Steel

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This is the story of the taming of the mighty Rapides des Joachims. It tells of the contribution of the 'hands on' workers that turned paper plans into reality. The surveyors, the rock-busters, the nail-drivers, and the concrete-placers that unfolded the gigantic drama of the Des Joachims Power Development.

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Des Joachims Development General Arrangement
1946
Des Joachims, Ottawa River, Ontario/Quebec, Canada
TEXT ATTACHMENT


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This image shows the locations of the 4 dams which had to be built to contain the 130 foot design head of water for the power plant. The image also shows the pre dam riverbed, and the flood discharge channel that had to be blasted from the south east end of McConnell Lake to the Ottawa River close to the village of Des Joachims.

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Des Joachims rapids
1946
Des Joachims, Ottawa River, Ontario/Quebec, Canada

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This image shows the lower rapids east of Des Joachims village in summer of 1945 before construction began.
The river was a raging torrent as it roared over the descending rocky river bed at
Des Joachims.

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The "Swisha" rapids
1946
Des Joachims, Ottawa River, Ontario/Quebec, Canada

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This image shows the bridge which is still in use between Ontario and the Quebec village of Des Joachims. Note the small distance between the bridge deck and the water surface. Today the water discharge from the powerhouse flows in the excavated tail race channel a great distance below the bridge deck.

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The "Swisha" rapids
1946
Des Joachims, Ottawa River, Ontario/Quebec, Canada
TEXT ATTACHMENT


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This image shows the present bridge in the upper left and a bridge that was removed in the upper right.

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Preliminary work on the project started in 1942 but was put on hold early in 1943 due to the requirement for men and materials for the 2nd World War effort.

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Work resumed in 1946 with surveying, clearing and logging operations above the dam site, the building of the new Moor Lake Road, setting up a temporary tent camp and clearing the site for Camp #1. Until the Moor Lake Road and rail siding was available in May 1947 all materials had to be hauled by road from Chalk River Station.

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A survey crew
1946
Des Joachims, Ottawa River, Ontario/Quebec, Canada
TEXT ATTACHMENT


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This image shows a survey crew at work beside the rapids in the winter of 1945