Water Power of Halifax County^ IvTova Scotia : Part I, 

 Dartmouth Lakes Power. — By F, W. W. Doane, 

 C. E., City Engineer, Halifax. 



(Read 13th May, 1907.) 



It is not the purpose of tliis paper to present any novel or 

 improved ideas in hydraulics or hydro-electric power, but first 

 to call attention to the undeveloped possibilities in our well- 

 known water courses, and second to describe somewhat in detail 

 the water power available from a water shed i'n the county of 

 Halifax, a portion of which is partially developed, the 

 remainder almost as nature formed it. 



To the average man a water power is inecessarily something 

 with a big dam across an imposing stream. Indeed, many 

 engineers are accustomed to look for large watersheds and high 

 heads, overlooking entirely the possibilities of the small streams. 

 In the House of Assembly a short time ago, it was stated that 

 there are no water powers in I^ova Scotia worthy of the notice 

 of the govennment. This assertion may or may not be correct, 

 yet while all of the larger powers have been discovered, and 

 many of them harnessed, there still remain many falls on our 

 streams which have escaped notice or have been considered too 

 unimportant to develop. Many hydraulic powers are in use, 

 but are toot furnishing anything like the quantity of power 

 which they are capable of developing. 



The board of trade last year, in a quarterly report, 

 regretted the lack of cheap powers for industries in Halifax, 

 but went no farther in a search for a remedy. Mr. Yorston, in 

 his paper read before the Institute last year, stated fully the 

 possibilities of the power on the Mersey River im Queens 

 County. A portion of the dormant power in the Gaspereau 

 Valley is being developed for transmission to the neighboring 



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