Old Pinawa Dam

Built in 1906, Pinawa Dam was Manitoba’s first year-round hydro-electric generating station. Developed in response to the demand for residential and commercial power, the dam was crucial to the rapid growth of Winnipeg in the pre-war years.

The station was in operation until 1951 at which point it was decommissioned to allow the full flow of the Winnipeg River to serve the Seven Sisters Hydro Station built downstream. Afterwards, it was used by the Canadian military as a training site for aerial bombing. It still bears the scars.

The dam can be reached via trails through the Old Pinawa Dam Heritage Park in Manitoba, Canada.