Museums

In 2017, Niagara Parks’ engineering team began a thorough assessment of the century-old building to determine the state of its structural integrity.

The initial inspection revealed water from the Niagara River was still entering the plant and flowing into the penstocks. The large headgates that acted as a barrier had deteriorated from rust. Safety was of the utmost concern.

Based on the findings of the assessment, a concrete barrier was placed in front of the penstocks to stop water from entering the power station. A swing stage was also built to allow access to different levels of the plant where geotechnical and structural inspections were completed.

Phase 1 Construction
Phase 1 construction took place between 2018 and 2021, with most of the construction concentrated inside the 600-foot forebay to protect the generator hall.
Part of the forebay was reserved to create a 100-foot water feature that will show visitors how power generation began with water flowing into the plant. On either side of the water feature, new floor space was created for amenities such as shopping, guest services and future culinary experiences.

The original equipment in the generator hall was meticulously shined and restored to showcase the incredible power generating technology built in the early 1900s.

Heritage Preservation
As the environmental and cultural stewards of the Niagara River corridor, preserving the heritage of the power station was of the utmost importance, driving all the decisions during the adaptive reuse construction process.

A comprehensive strategic conservation plan determined what elements were most important to preserve. All the equipment showcased in the generator hall have been carefully cleaned and left as they were when they were originally built. The power station was built utilizing durable materials such as limestone, granite, brass, and copper.

More than 400 people have worked in the facility during the adaptive reuse construction, including more than 100 staff from Niagara Parks.

Featured Machinery
There are 11 generators inside the power station. The first five were installed when the power station opened in 1905. The remaining six were added up to 1924, when the plant was fully operational. The generators inside the power station have been cleaned and painted blue, the original colour prior to the power station closing in 2006.

Each of the generators has a corresponding governor that controlled and regulated the rotational speed of the turbine. The governor made it possible for the generator to produce a constant frequency of alternating current electricity. The frequency was measured in hertz. The governors you see inside the power station have been meticulously cleaned and hand-polished to preserve their heritage quality.

Exciter units were mounted on the same shaft as the main generators and produced DC power for the field windings. They weighed 45,000 pounds and created excitation powered by water. When spinning, the exciters could reach up to 600 rotations per minute! When the power station first opened in 1905, its five exciter units were placed deep underground in the wheelpit. Eventually, it was discovered the environment was too moist, and the exciters were moved to the main generating floor. The exciter placed outside, in Power Plaza, was reduced to 16,000 pounds. A special powder coating was applied to protect it from the outdoor elements.

The Workers
At Niagara Parks, we are fortunate to have many talented and diversely skilled tradespeople who played a vital role in bringing the power station back to life. During the adaptive reuse construction, we employed our electricians, plumbers, masons and laborers.

In addition, approximately 75 contractors were hired and more than 400 people have worked in the facility, including more than 100 staff from Niagara Parks.

The Kingston Pump House Museum is a demonstration of the original waterworks that served the City of Kingston in the 19th Century.

The Pump House is located in one of Canada’s oldest original water works – where steam-powered pumps provided the first running water to Kingston residents from 1851. Only six similar preserved water pumping stations remain in North America

The assignment involved an addition to house workshops, arrival and orientation space for school groups, new accessible washrooms and office areas, as well as renovations to the existing historic building.

The County Museum and Archives is adjacent to the County’s stately limestone Courthouse, restored by +VG Architects in 1996. The museum, an 1864 limestone building, was, until 1971, the county jail.

In 2002, the County retained +VG Architects to provide architectural consulting and museum planning services to carry out a review of the Museum and Archives structural and functional components, such as service delivery and accessibility, in order to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the Museum operation for the 21st Century. One of the major goals of the study was to find ways to accommodate more flexible space for student activity, education programs, and multi-purpose needs.

In Spring 2009, +VG was asked to revisit the study to review the program against current needs and update project costing in anticipation of proceeding with implementation of the Museum and Archives Master Plan vision later in 2009. In 2011, +VG was retained to design the expansion to the existing Archives building. We were chosen for the expertise and experience with designing institutional buildings within historical contexts.

The expansion includes new activity and educational program areas, public washrooms, relocated Research Room and Archival Storage, multi-purpose space, storage space in the basement, and a new one-storey gallery addition.

The historical setting of the property as a whole, represented a unique challenge. In order to fully appreciate this setting, it was imperative that the development of the property be designed in harmony with both the topography of the site and the existing heritage fabric, so that the historical beauty of the existing building and natural open area of the site will continue to be the dominant features. To accomplish this, careful consideration has been given to the size and siting of the building, the architecture of the new intervention in regards to the choice of cladding materials, and in maintaining as much as possible of the property in its natural current state.