# Kemano > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kemano > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kemano.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemano > Source revision: 1351946137 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Human settlement in British Columbia, Canada}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Location map|Canada British Columbia|lat=53.3359|long=-127.5700|width=200|caption=Location of Kemano in [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia)|label=Kemano}} '''Kemano''' was a settlement situated 75 km (47 mi) southeast of [Kitimat](/source/Kitimat) in the province of [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia) in [Canada](/source/Canada). It was built to service a [hydroelectric](/source/hydroelectric) power station, built to provide energy for [Alcan](/source/Alcan) to smelt [aluminum](/source/Aluminium) from its ore. The [Kemano Generating Station](/source/Kemano_Generating_Station) is built 427 m (1,400 ft) inside the base of Mt Dubose in a blasted cavern. It produces 896 MW of power from its eight generators, each of which has a capacity of 112MW. ==History== right|thumb|350px|Kemano Beach, the former townsite is located further inland. The plant comprises a 16 km (9.9 mi) long tunnel, the width of a two-lane highway, drilled and blasted through the coastal mountains to carry water to the penstocks of the Kemano powerhouse. The water plunges 800 m (2,600 ft) to drive the generators. The two 287 kV power transmission lines travel 82 km (51 mi) from Kemano to Kitimat[http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/northwest/kitimat/transmission.html The Transmission Line] ''[Royal BC Museum](/source/Royal_BC_Museum)''. Accessed: 16 February 2012. across some of the most rugged mountain territory in British Columbia, along the Kildala Pass, about 1,500 m (5,000 ft) above sea-level. Voice communication over the power lines was the only form of fast contact between the sites. Between 1951 and 1954, 6,000 construction workers built the [Kenney Dam](/source/Kenney_Dam), tunnel, powerhouse, transmission line, smelter, and townsite. There remains no road to Kemano; everything had to be brought in by air or sea. Construction equipment and supplies were barged over Tahtsa Lake to the eastern end of the tunnel.Kendrick, John. [http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/northwest/kitimat/happen.html Making It Happen] ''[Royal BC Museum](/source/Royal_BC_Museum)''. Accessed: 16 February 2012. Sixteen people died making the tunnel.[http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/northwest/kitimat/tunnel.html The tunnel] ''[Royal BC Museum](/source/Royal_BC_Museum)''. Accessed: 16 February 2012. In 1956 the smelter complex consumed 35% of yearly electric energy in British Columbia.[http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/northwest/kitimat/powerhouse.html The Powerhouse] ''[Royal BC Museum](/source/Royal_BC_Museum)''. Accessed: 16 February 2012. The first Kemano Project, known as [Kemano I](/source/Kenney_Dam), resulted in the flooding of {{convert|339|sqmi|km2}} of the [Nechako Reservoir](/source/Nechako_Reservoir), within [Cheslatta](/source/Cheslatta_Carrier_Nation) territory.[http://www.livinglandscapes.bc.ca/northwest/kitimat/reservoir.html Reservoir and Dam] ''[Royal BC Museum](/source/Royal_BC_Museum)''. Accessed: 16 February 2012. This reputedly removed approximately 75% of the flow of the [Nechako](/source/Nechako_River), which is or was an important salmon river. Expansion on the project, known as [Kemano II](/source/Kemano_II), has been contested in the Canadian courts by members of the [Cheslatta Carrier Nation](/source/Cheslatta_Carrier_Nation) with a group of Elders who have filed a Statement of Claim with the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Kemano itself is a name for a tribal subdivision of the [Henaksiala](/source/Haisla_people), part of the [Haisla](/source/Haisla_people) group, and was a community in its own right after many of the coastal tribes withdrew during the influx of colonists post-1780, to remove themselves from the threat of diseases and the alien culture. [Kemano Indian Reserve No. 17](/source/Kemano_17) is located at the site of the Henaksiala village, though most [Haisla](/source/Haisla_people) in the region today live at [Kitamaat Village](/source/Kitamaat_Village), near [Kitimat](/source/Kitimat). The [company town](/source/company_town) of Kemano was originally built in the 1950s and was home to a thriving small community, featuring a guesthouse, a shop which sold everything from candy to guns to socks to hats, a golf course, curling rink, bowling alley, and a church. When the power station was automated, the town eventually closed its doors as a community in 2000, the residents were moved out, and the majority of houses (including the school) were burnt down as a training exercise for selected fire departments from all of BC. The plant still exists and is operational on a shift system. ==Climate== {{Weather box |location = Kemano |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan record high C = 12.2 |Feb record high C = 13.5 |Mar record high C = 18.3 |Apr record high C = 28.0 |May record high C = 33.3 |Jun record high C = 36.0 |Jul record high C = 37.8 |Aug record high C = 35.0 |Sep record high C = 33.9 |Oct record high C = 23.0 |Nov record high C = 15.0 |Dec record high C = 11.5 |year record high C = 37.8 |Jan high C = 1.1 |Feb high C = 3.6 |Mar high C = 7.6 |Apr high C = 12.6 |May high C = 17.0 |Jun high C = 20.2 |Jul high C = 22.3 |Aug high C = 22.1 |Sep high C = 17.4 |Oct high C = 10.4 |Nov high C = 4.1 |Dec high C = 1.3 |year high C = 11.6 | Jan mean C = -1.5 | Feb mean C = 0.4 | Mar mean C = 3.3 | Apr mean C = 7.2 | May mean C = 11.1 | Jun mean C = 14.4 | Jul mean C = 16.5 | Aug mean C = 16.4 | Sep mean C = 12.7 | Oct mean C = 7.2 | Nov mean C = 1.9 | Dec mean C = -0.8 | year mean C = 7.4 |Jan low C = -4.0 |Feb low C = -3.0 |Mar low C = -1.1 |Apr low C = 1.8 |May low C = 5.2 |Jun low C = 8.5 |Jul low C = 10.5 |Aug low C = 10.6 |Sep low C = 7.9 |Oct low C = 4.0 |Nov low C = -0.4 |Dec low C = -3.0 |year low C = 3.1 |Jan record low C = -24.4 |Feb record low C = -24.0 |Mar record low C = -18.9 |Apr record low C = -7.8 |May record low C = -3.3 |Jun record low C = -0.6 |Jul record low C = 2.2 |Aug record low C = -0.6 |Sep record low C = -1.1 |Oct record low C = -14.5 |Nov record low C = -25.0 |Dec record low C = -21.5 |year record low C = -25.0 |Jan precipitation mm = 249.8 |Feb precipitation mm = 170.6 |Mar precipitation mm = 137.5 |Apr precipitation mm = 100.3 |May precipitation mm = 68.7 |Jun precipitation mm = 62.5 |Jul precipitation mm = 61.9 |Aug precipitation mm = 76.9 |Sep precipitation mm = 162.5 |Oct precipitation mm = 317.7 |Nov precipitation mm = 293.1 |Dec precipitation mm = 285.4 |year precipitation mm = 1986.9 |Jan rain mm= 190.2 |Feb rain mm= 136.3 |Mar rain mm= 122.2 |Apr rain mm= 98.1 |May rain mm= 68.7 |Jun rain mm= 62.5 |Jul rain mm= 61.9 |Aug rain mm= 76.9 |Sep rain mm= 162.5 |Oct rain mm= 315.2 |Nov rain mm= 257.6 |Dec rain mm= 219.6 |year rain mm= 1771.6 |Jan snow cm= 59.7 |Feb snow cm= 34.3 |Mar snow cm= 15.3 |Apr snow cm= 2.2 |May snow cm= 0.0 |Jun snow cm= 0.0 |Jul snow cm= 0.0 |Aug snow cm= 0.0 |Sep snow cm= 0.0 |Oct snow cm= 2.5 |Nov snow cm= 35.5 |Dec snow cm= 65.8 |year snow cm= 215.3 |precipitation colour = green |rain colour = green |source 1 = [Environment Canada](/source/Environment_Canada){{cite web |url =http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html?stnID=396&lang=e&province=BC&provSubmit=go&page=101&dCode=0| title = Kemano | work = Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010| publisher = Environment Canada| language = English, French| accessdate =24 September 2015}} |date=September 2015 }} ==See also== * [Cheslatta River](/source/Cheslatta_River) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/accepted/?id=d759a638-d7c6-4155-97d7-3925b00b01bf PDF]- Article about the burning of the town * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100729085353/http://www.riotintoalcaninbc.com/pages/our-products/power-operations-watershed-management.php] – Rio Tinto Alcan BC * {{BCGNIS|3166|Kemano (Community)}} * {{BCGNIS|33802|Kemano Indian Reserve 17}} * {{BCGNIS|39304|Kemano Beach (Landing)}} {{Coord|53|33|59|N|127|57|00|W|display=title}} {{IBWaterDiv}} Category:Company towns in Canada Category:Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia Category:Populated places in the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kemano](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemano) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemano?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.