Newell Substation upgrade
We're upgrading Newell Substation to improve reliability, address safety risks, and meet projected load growth. This will allow us to continue to provide reliable electricity to about 59,000 homes and businesses in southern Burnaby as well as to other substations.
What's new
Civil construction and site preparation are continuing at the northeast corner of the substation property. This is where a new indoor feeder building will be constructed to house new electrical equipment, replacing a portion of the existing outdoor lattice structure located at the northwest corner of the substation.
Construction activities scheduled for the coming months include:
- April 20 to early May: Pile drilling for the foundations of the new feeder building. During this work there will be an increase in noise onsite as a drill rig is used to prepare the support structures for the new building.
- May: Installation of panels for the new retaining wall. A crane will be used onsite to lift and potion the panels during installation.
- Late May to late June: Underground utility installation, including digging, trenching, and site grading within the substation. During this period, there will be an increase in dump truck traffic to remove excavated materials from the site.
- Starting in July: Preparation for construction of the new feeder building will begin, including set up of contractor parking and work zones in the area outside the south fence of the substation. The Highland Park Line Trail will be relocated to run parallel to the Beresford Street and the work area and existing trees will be securely fenced. There will be a noticeable increase in construction vehicles and on site activity as a full construction crew mobilizes.
Public safety is a priority throughout all phases of construction. Traffic control personnel and measures will be in place where required to help ensure vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians can move safely through the area.
All work is planned to take place during regular daytime working hours. Should there be any changes to the schedule or extension to the work hours, we’ll notify the community in advance of the changes.
Newell Substation, located at the corner of Kingsway and Griffith Drive in Burnaby, was built in stages from 1946 to 1955. The substation has been operating reliably for almost 70 years. Newell Substation is connected to seven other substations and serves about 59,000 customers (about 66% residential, 24% commercial, and 11% industrial). The substation takes high-voltage electricity from transmission lines and converts it to the voltages needed to supply power to customers.
We're planning to remove old outdoor equipment that's in poor condition (labelled Feeder Section to be removed in the figure below) and replace it with modern equipment housed in a new feeder building. We'll also replace one of three transformers at the substation as it's reaching end-of-life and make required upgrades to other equipment at site.
Newell substation upgrade project map
Select the project map [PDF, 821 MB] to view it at a larger size.
We'll also install underground infrastructure in Griffiths Drive to the east of the new feeder building and interconnect with existing infrastructure north of the site fence. We'll determine the specific location of the infrastructure and interconnections as studies progress.
Some land outside the fence on the south side of the substation will be used for contractor parking and work zone. During construction a walking path will be available but it will be located further south, closer to the road. After the upgrades are complete, we'll restore the sites not needed for future project work.
These upgrades will ensure that Newell Substation can continue to provide reliable electricity supply to residents, businesses, and other substations.
New feeder building
The new feeder building will be located on the northeast corner of the substation site (see figure above). This location was selected after considering:
- Safety
- Constructability
- Ability to connect to existing equipment
- Environment
- Community impacts
- Cost
Locating the building on the northeast corner:
- Keeps the building within the existing fence line,
- Doesn't have permanent impacts to the greenspace south of the fence line,
- Is further from residences, and
- Is more cost effective.
Design of the new building is underway and current renderings are shown below.
Rendering of the feeder building.
Rendering of the site looking northwest.
Rendering of the street view on Kingsway in Burnaby.
| Key dates | Activity |
|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Vegetation removal. |
| Fall 2025 | Site preparation begins with bumping out the retaining wall in the northeast corner. |
| Summer/fall 2026 | Construction begins for the new feeder building. |
| Summer/fall 2026 | New transformer installation. |
| Fall/winter 2031 | Expected project in-service and removal of old feeder section begins. |
| Fall/winter 2032 | Expected project completion. |
The schedule will be updated and additional detail will be available as the project advances.
This upgrade will provide increased reliability to the electrical system, replace aging equipment that's nearing end-of-life, and help more of the community switch from fossil fuels to electricity. It will ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of the substation's service area and prepare for future growth in the area.
Reports and documents
- Open house presentation – January 2025 [PDF, 796 KB]
- Open house presentation – February 2024 [PDF, 616 KB]
- Newell substation project map [PDF, 5.7 MB]
Get in touch
If you'd like to share your feedback about the project or have any questions, please connect with us.
Email: projects@bchydro.com
Phone: 604 623 4472
Toll free: 1 866 647 3334