Formerly known as an off-grid campsite, visitors might be in for a surprise next time they head to Jasper鈥檚 Whirlpool Campground.
Thanks to the powerful current of the Whirlpool River and a newly installed river turbine, campers will now be able to cook under a light after the sun goes down and charge their electronic devices.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very basic services providing a little LED lighting and a place where people can charge their phones,鈥� said Steve Blake, special projects coordinator for Parks Canada. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 really nice is that this project doesn鈥檛 require any pipes or dams.鈥�
Through the federal government鈥檚 Build in Canada Innovation Program, Parks Canada and Id茅nergie, a Quebec-based electric company, teamed up to install several river turbines throughout Canada鈥檚 mountain parks as part of a larger pilot project.
Since 2015, the two partners have been working together to find the best places to install the turbines. In Jasper they assessed, Snaring, Kerkeslin, Jonas, and areas around Sunwapta, Maligne Lake and Whirlpool Campground before picking two locations鈥揥hirlpool Campground and the HI-Athabasca Falls Wilderness Hostel.
鈥淎ll the sites were evaluated through Parks Canada鈥檚 impact assessment process. We really looked at all the elements鈥攙isitor experience, ecological values and practicality,鈥� Blake said. 鈥淪naring, for example, had good flow, but it was really far away from where we needed power...it just wasn鈥檛 practical.鈥�
He said the hostel was also chosen because it already uses alternative energy sources.
鈥淲e鈥檝e partnered with Hosteling International because they already have solar systems at Athabasca Falls鈥攚e鈥檝e just plugged a turbine into their existing system,鈥� said Blake.聽
River turbines have also been installed at campgrounds in Banff and Kootenay National Parks.
At Whirlpool Campground, the spinning hydrokinetic turbine is attached to rocks at the bottom of the river by a single anchor, however, there is also a back-up anchor in case the first lets go. The turbine uses the river鈥檚 current to produce electricity, which is then run through a submarine cable to a small cabin. The cabin is open to all campsite users and is also equipped with picnic tables and a wood stove.
鈥淪o basically now people don鈥檛 have to fire up their lanterns if they want to cook or use the cabin after the sun goes down,鈥� Blake said.
According to Blake, the turbine can produce between four to 10 kWh a day鈥攖he equivalent of six solar panels.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice because it doesn鈥檛 generate emissions and it generates power around the clock whereas solar panels need that sun,鈥� Blake said. 聽
The turbine sits on a stand in the river and takes up about half of a square metre. While there is a sign warning river users to not get too close to the turbine, Blake said he doesn鈥檛 expect the turbine鈥攚hich is also clearly marked with several orange buoys鈥攖o pose any risks.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e in a kayak you could even paddle right over it,鈥� said Blake, adding that the turbine also doesn鈥檛 pose any threat to the river鈥檚 fish population. 鈥淔ish are like anything else鈥攖hey instinctually avoid harm. Also, in a river like Whirlpool there鈥檚 lots of space鈥攆ish can swim around very easily.鈥�
According to Id茅nergie, 98 per cent of the fish will avoid the turbine. Of the two per cent of fish that do end up entering the turbine, more than 90 per cent have no injuries at all.
An emergency stop button has also been installed for extra safety precautions.
The pilot-project will come to a close at the end of the year, but Blake is confident the turbines are here to stay.
鈥淚t鈥檚 my full expectation that Parks Canada will deploy these at various locations just to provide some of those basic services,鈥� Blake said.
At the end of the camping season, the turbines will be plucked out of the rivers and re-installed at the beginning of each camping season, extending the longevity of the equipment.
Each river turbine costs about $10,000. The Build in Canada Innovation Program funded the turbines as a part of the pilot-project.
Jill Seaton, chair of the Jasper Environmental Association, said she had no issues with the turbines themselves, but was concerned how lights outside of the townsite might affect Jasper鈥檚 dark sky status.
鈥淭he turbines don鈥檛 sound too bad at all. I just don鈥檛 want to see this get bigger and spread down the Parkway,鈥� Seaton said.
Blake assured the minimal LED lights that have been installed will not affect Jasper鈥檚 dark sky status.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not trying to make remarkable changes to the national parks or to the camping experience,鈥� Blake said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just adding some very basic services.鈥�
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
