Stave Falls Visitor Centre

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Located within the picturesque Fraser Valley, the Stave Falls Powerhouse offers a very exciting experience for all visitors, regardless of age. Walk back in time with interactive games and historic displays telling the story of how power has helped build British Columbia.

Don't miss the impressive turbines and generators, which give a unique perspective on how electricity is made.

Hours, admission fees, location and contact info

The popular Stave Falls Visitor Centre is open seven days a week from Spring Break to Thanksgiving, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed October 13 to October 22 to decorate for the Haunted Power House.

November 4, 2009 to March 5, 2010 Open Wednesday to Sunday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day.

The centre is located at 31338 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Mission. Use this Google Map for directions, or see below for text directions from Vancouver, from the United States or from the east.

Admission fees:

• Adults $6, youth & seniors $5
• Season pass for adults $12, for youth $10

For further information, call 604 462 1222.

Tours & teachers' info

Call (604 462 1222) to book your guided tour, as pre-booked tours – including birthday party packages – are encouraged and are available.

The Power House at Stave Falls Teacher's Guide [PDF, 545 Kb] will help you prepare for your class tour.

Holiday discounts

The centre offers the following admission discounts:

• February 14, Valentine's Day – 2 for 1 admission
• April 10 to 13, Easter Weekend – 2 for 1 admission
• May 10, Mother's Day – Moms free with paying child
• June 21, Father's Day – Dads free with paying child
• July 1 (Canada Day) – 2 for 1 admission
• July 18 & 19 – Christmas in July
• August 3 (BC Day) – 2 for 1 admission
• Labour Day – 2 for 1 admission
• Thanksgiving – 2 for 1 admission
• October – Halloween Haunted Powerhouse

Halloween Haunted Powerhouse

Dates: October 23 - 28, 2009
Time:  5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Cost:  $5.00 per person

Hotdog sale and concession on site.

Partial proceeds going to the Mission Food Centre.

History and hydroelectric operation

Hydroelectric developments were instrumental in shaping the history and landscape of the Stave Valley from as early as 1909, when the Western Canada Power Company Limited began the construction of a power plant at Stave Falls.

Construction of the Stave Falls Dam and Powerhouse began in 1909 and was completed by January 1, 1912. From 1926 to 1928, the construction of an earthfill dam, tunnel and Powerhouse saw the completion of the Alouette component of the regional hydroelectric system.

In 1929, construction began on Ruskin Dam and Powerhouse at the narrow granite gorge 5.6 km downstream of Stave Falls. This development created Hayward Lake Reservoir, named after Stave Falls Dam's first Production Superintendent.

An additional generator was installed in the Ruskin Powerhouse in 1950 to meet increased electrical demand in the region. Electric power produced at the Ruskin Generating Station is used to meet short-term peak electrical demand in the Lower Mainland.

In January 2000, an upgrade to the Stave Falls Dam and Powerhouse was completed to increase the dam's efficiency while ensuring long-term hydroelectric service.

The Alouette-Stave-Ruskin generation system is a source of hydroelectricity for the Lower Mainland. Water from Alouette Lake is directed by tunnel to the Alouette Powerhouse on Stave Lake Reservoir where it then passes through the Stave Falls Powerhouse, and into Hayward Lake Reservoir. From here, water flows through the Ruskin Powerhouse and eventually down into the Fraser River. Together, the three powerhouses have a production capacity of 205 megawatts of electricity.

Facilities and activities

The Power House at Stave Falls offers an exciting experience for all ages, with interactive games and historic displays that tell the story of how power helped build British Columbia.

Take a walk through the past into the future at the Power House at Stave Falls! Learn how electricity is made and see turbines and generators up close. We offer:

• Self-guided tours
• Friendly staff on hand to answer questions
• A 50-seat theatre
• A Power House gift shop
• Full wheelchair accessibility
• A scenic location with BC Hydro recreation sites nearby

Start your self-guided tour with a nine-minute video, "Rain", in our theatre. It introduces you to the life and times of the early 1900s. Play with experiments on the solar energy workbench in the "Alternative Energy" area. Go through the "Science of Electricity" area and test your knowledge with interactive displays that will "shock" you. Enter the "Generator Hall" and see the actual turbines and generators from 1912!

Go back in time in the Historic Gallery to when electricity was a vague promise for the future and TVs and computers were still a half-century away. Appreciate the hardships and effort to build the Power House and hear the stories of intolerable mosquitoes and no safety equipment. Experience the changes made to lifestyles as the years went by.

Driving Directions

From Vancouver Area

• Go east on Broadway, which becomes Lougheed Highway (No.7), or
• Go east on Hastings, which becomes Barnet Highway (No.7A), which turns into Lougheed Highway in Coquitlam, or
• Go east on Highway 1 and take Exit 44 before the Port Mann Bridge, following the signs to Lougheed Highway (No.7), heading east. Stay in the right lane on Lougheed Highway (about 5 km). The highway bears right at a major intersection and continues east towards Maple Ridge.
• Keep going east along Lougheed Highway over the Pitt River Bridge. Go about 6 km beyond bridge, then turn left onto Dewdney Trunk Road (note: do not take the access to Dewdney Trunk Road immediately after the bridge).
• Go straight east on Dewdney Trunk Road for about 23 km and watch for signs as you near the Power House at Stave Falls Visitor Centre.

From the United States

• Use Sumas crossing and take Highway 11 to Mission.
• Go west on Lougheed Highway (No.7) towards Maple Ridge until you reach 287th, then turn right. (287th becomes Wilson Road near Ruskin Dam, which is the first dam you come to.)
• Continue until the road ends at Dewdney Trunk Road and turn right. Follow signs for the Power House at Stave Falls Visitor Centre.

From the east

• Take Highway 1 to Abbotsford.
• Take Highway 11 to Mission from Abbotsford.
• Go west on Lougheed Highway (No.7) towards Maple Ridge until you reach 287th, then turn right. (287th becomes Wilson Road near Ruskin Dam, which is the first dam you come to.)
• Continue until the road ends at Dewdney Trunk Road and turn right. Follow signs for the Power House at Stave Falls Visitor Centre.