Island Falls, Saskatchewan

The drainage basin above the power site covers much of northwest Saskatchewan, about 210,000 square kilometres (80,000 sq mi).

As part of the consolidation of generation sources in the province, SaskPower purchased the plant from HBM&S in 1981, which continued to operate it for several years.

The construction of the power plant was difficult, as transportation routes did not exist north of the rail-head in Flin Flon.

In addition, a number of earthen dams were built along the margin of the head pond (fore bay) to prevent overflow.

About 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) south, a 270 metres (900 ft) concrete spillway dam known as "A-dam" was built across a low area on dry land later to be flooded.

In August 1930, A-dam was opened and the massive flood of escaping water flushed out a second channel, thus creating an island.

[1] Called "The Camp" by its residents, it was home to the families of operators, electricians, machinists, administrators, labourers, and men of many other skills employed by the Churchill River Power Company.

They were distinctively clad with vertical, bark-covered slabs on the walls, roofed with black tarpaper, insulated with sawdust, fully plumbed, and electrically heated.

Winters being long and cold, the community had facilities necessary for self-sufficiency, including a two-room school, gymnasium, cinema, curling rink, and hockey arena.

A "Community Club" was generously supported by the company, so residents were regularly treated to movies and social gatherings.

The Community had always been serviced by air, but 'freeze-up' of the river in the fall and 'break-up' of the ice in spring prevented aircraft from landing for weeks at a time.

Linn tractor trains continued to be used for transporting heavy supplies in winter over the frozen lakes, but in the 1940s much faster Bombardier snowmobiles began to carry mail and passengers.