Feds give $7.4M to conserve historic Powerhouse building in the Sault

On Thursday, Sault MP Terry Sheehan announced $7.4 million in federal funding for infrastructure improvements to stabilize and conserve the historic Powerhouse building.

Sheehan made the announcement on behalf of Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada.

“The Powerhouse building allowed the Sault Ste. Marie Canal to be the first electrically operated lock in the world and is the reason for the designation as a national historic site,” Sheehan’s office said in a news release.

“This heritage building is undergoing significant structural stabilization work to remediate its deterioration, largely through groundwater mitigation efforts and other improvements including conservation, rehabilitation, and construction initiatives.”

Work began in late December and is expected to continue for the next two years.

“The Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site is undertaking a large revitalization project on the historic Powerhouse building to ensure its sustainability and longevity for future generations,” Sheehan is quoted as saying in the release.

“By ensuring the sustainability of Parks Canada administered places, the government is supporting local economies, contributing to the growth of sustainable tourism, and strengthening their appeal as destinations to celebrate our country.”

Phase 1 of the Powerhouse project began in 2019, with $6.3 million in federal funding to begin investigative work, which included removing some existing infrastructure to thoroughly explore and understand the water infiltration issues, and to assess future needs to remediate this heritage building.

Federal spending on the Powerhouse building now totals around $13.8 million, the release said.

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The Sault Ste. Marie Canal was the longest and first electrically operated lock in the world when it opened in 1895. It was the last link in a 3,500-km all-Canadian waterway stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the western tip of Lake Superior.

It was designated a national historic site in 1987.