Over a century ago, the Valley of the Ghosts connecting Kaslo with the booming silver/lead mining town of Sandon, teemed with thousands of men seeking their fortune in the rugged, mountainous terrain of the Selkirks.
When the price for silver dropped, the rationale for Sandon disappeared. Today, what’s left of the town is populated by five permanent residents. Its remaining historic buildings include a fascinating museum, a general store, and a kiosk out of which Vida Turok somehow manages to produce some of the most delicious food and treats you’re likely to come across anywhere in British Columbia.
But perhaps the most striking feature in Sandon is the Silversmith Generating Station. In continuous operation since 1897, Silversmith produces a reliable stream of the greenest possible electricity, 24/7, year after year. It was the first hydroelectric producer in western Canada to be awarded federal green certification, in 1999. In 2021, Silversmith became an inductee into the international Hydro Hall of Fame.
Yet for all that, the plant struggles to stay afloat, the victim of a political and bureaucratic landscape that seems to defy logic and common sense. After a recent visit to Sandon, Radio Free Kaslo host RG Morse reached out to Hal Wright, the man who has worked tirelessly to keep Silversmith running, to talk about the plant’s history, its challenges, and its prospects going forward.
Fascinating listening for anyone interested in history, and the murky machinations of energy politics in British Columbia.
