A hydroelectric dam that was abandoned over 100 years ago is one of our province’s coolest tourist destinations.
That is, if you don’t mind the thousands of lesions that will line your exposed skin from the umpteen bug bites you’ll suffer during the hike between the grid road and the actual dam. Still, the crumbling cement structure, a boondoggle located on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, is totally worth the trip.
LaColle Falls Hydroelectric Dam was initiated in 1909, when officials from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan started construction 45 kilometres east of the city before abandoning the project in 1913. The dam cost Prince Albert $3 million, and nearly brought the city to the brink of bankruptcy, according to sources.
Despite the inaccessibility, the slowly decaying structure is a bit of a weird dead zone. Lined with graffiti that frescoes the sides of the structure, the dam is probably dangerous to climb on – also, it’s on a riverbank so you would be wise not to fall into the water.
You can find the LaColle Falls Dam via Google maps, but beware – it’s not exactly a casual walk through the woods.
Also, watch out for bears, because that giant pile of poop we saw while walking out there most definitely was not placed there by a human.
