Toronto Lower Don Lands Redevelopment | ?m | ?s | Waterfront Toronto

Part 2:

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hawc said:
Just down the street.

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Some facts about the three big smokestacks in the area. This stack is connected to a former incinerator, built in 1955. It originally had only three shorter smokestacks. They demolished those smokestacks, but kept the building, and built the much taller smokestack, which still stands today. The incinerator was decommissioned in 1988. The incinerator has been turned into a transfer station. The smokestack was restored in 2019. The top of the smokestack was originally black with red in the middle, instead of the all white now. This smokestack is the shortest one of the three, standing at 137.2 metres or 450 ft. The whole building isn’t abandoned, just the stack. Next, The Hearn Generating Station. This is the tallest of them all. The Hearn was originally built in 1951. It opened exactly on October 26, 1951. It originally burnt coal. Like the incinerator, it did not have the massive smokestack originally, instead, it had 4 smaller smokestacks. Later on, they added a further 4 smokestacks, totalling 8. For some reason, the last three smokestacks to be built were slightly bigger than the last 5. Due to pressure to reduce smog in Toronto, in the 1960s, they spent $9M at the time to build a single smokestack that would at the time be one of the tallest in the world! Standing at 215 metres. The smokestack finished in 1971, and the smaller stacks were demolished, while retaining the original building. The new, much taller smokestack reduced pollution in the area. By around 1971/1972, the station was converted to burn natural gas instead of coal. The generating station was decommissioned in 1983, and has sat abandoned since then. With some companies purchasing it, and gutting it, removing all the generators. The whole building is abandoned, including the stack. Next, Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant. It is the second biggest treatment plant in Canada, after Montreal's Jean-R. Marcotte facility. The plant opened in 1910, before this, sewage from Toronto flowed directly into Lake Ontario, because of this, people would often see the lake with sludge from the sewage, and many other things in the lake. Until 1999, it was known as the Main Treatment Plant. The smokestack stands at 185 metres tall or 607 ft. The second tallest of the three in the area. The stack was used for the plant’s sludge incinerator. It was decommissioned in 1987. The entire treatment plant is still in operation however. The incinerator for sludge was only decommissioned in 1987. Reducing pollution in the area. At the time of construction, the area was pretty far from anyone living. But as time passed, more housing was built around the plant. Many residents of the area wanted the closures of these facilities, as it really polluted the area. Who would want to live next to a whole bunch of pollution and mix of smells? It’s not good for your health! Going back to the Hearn, in 2009, right next to the Hearn, they have built the Portlands Energy Centre. Which is a natural gas plant producing 550 megawatts of power. The city relies on this, as on August 11, 2022, a crane hit a power line, and a power outage hit most of downtown Toronto. It was set to only last for 20 years, and close in 2029. However, there are plans to extend the life of this plant, along with replacing some of the generators to produce more power for less pollution, making it a 600 megawatt plant. Many residents want the plant to close, as it pollutes the area. This plant only has two smokestacks, which are much shorter than the Hearn, incinerator, or even the treatment plant’s smokestacks.

I did a lot of research for this, hope you learned a lot.
 
Bibi L said:
Going back to the Hearn, in 2009, right next to the Hearn, they have built the Portlands Energy Centre. Which is a natural gas plant producing 550 megawatts of power. The city relies on this, as on August 11, 2022, a crane hit a power line, and a power outage hit most of downtown Toronto. It was set to only last for 20 years, and close in 2029. However, there are plans to extend the life of this plant, along with replacing some of the generators to produce more power for less pollution, making it a 600 megawatt plant. Many residents want the plant to close, as it pollutes the area. This plant only has two smokestacks, which are much shorter than the Hearn, incinerator, or even the treatment plant’s smokestacks.
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I was at the Portlands Energy Centre for Doors Open this year. If I recall correctly, there are also plans to double the number of generators in the offing.

While it is currently, and the expansion is planned to start as, a natural gas plant, I was heartened to learn it is all convertible to running on hydrogen.
 
A Torontonian Now said:
I was at the Portlands Energy Centre for Doors Open this year. If I recall correctly, there are also plans to double the number of generators in the offing.

While it is currently, and the expansion is planned to start as, a natural gas plant, I was heartened to learn it is all convertible to running on hydrogen.
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I think it would be better if we were using hydrogen, but natural gas carries much more energy per volume than hydrogen, so hydrogen is less efficient, meaning hydrogen would produce less power. I think this might be important as it produces a big chunk of energy for Downtown Toronto, at 550 megawatts. Unless we can make hydrogen much better with technology improvements. It’s possible. I wish that big polluters like these were not located near people living, as it is not good to breathe.
 
To add on, they can’t just convert it to run on hydrogen, as I’ve talked about, a big chunk of Downtown Toronto’s power runs on this plant. Plus more buildings are being built, adding to more power demand. If they were to cut the energy produced from this plant, I’m not sure how some buildings would even have power, assuming the plant is running near capacity. As they want to extend the plant to last longer and produce more energy. I don’t know how much power it produces, I know it is capable of 550 megawatts, but don’t know if it actually always produces near that much, it could be producing well below that. But soon enough, with all the new developments, energy demand will definitely go up.
 
DSC said:
This is the Commissioners Street Transfer Station (still being used) NOT the Hearne. I agree the Hearne would make a great industrial-type museum but the Tories sold it off.
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You are right! This building is being decommissioned in 2 years and be make an excellent Burtynsky Centre!
 
rdaner said:
You are right! This building is being decommissioned in 2 years and be make an excellent Burtynsky Centre!
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I had not heard that the City were closing the Commissioners Transfer Station - will they open a new one 'downtown'? I think it serves most of downtown - certainly easiest to reach if making a 'personal' drop-off..
 
DSC said:
I had not heard that the City were closing the Commissioners Transfer Station - will they open a new one 'downtown'? I think it serves most of downtown - certainly easiest to reach if making a 'personal' drop-off..
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I read it in the McCleary District Document released by WT a few months ago. First time that I had heard about it but good news as the inside is one large space surrounded by huge windows!
 
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