Turner Valley’s 106-year-old gas plant will remain closed to visitors this season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent press release from the Province states that upon review and given the nature of the Turner Valley Gas Plant, it’s unable to safely implement measures and procedures that adhere to public health guidelines during the pandemic.
Olga Fowler, manager of seasonal sites with Alberta Culture, Multi-culturalism and the Status of Women, said none of Alberta’s seasonal historic sites opened this year.
“It’s mainly because of COVID,” she said last week. “I can’t comment on what will happen in the future for seasonal facilities. I don’t know.”
Despite the closure, Fowler said the Province will undertake conservation and stabilization work on some historic structures in the Turner Valley Gas Plant this fall. This includes metal work repairs on some of the buildings, painting and coating for preservation and structural repairs on the gasoline plant building.
“As a Provincial Historic Resource and a National Historic Site of Canada, it is important to complete these projects to ensure the conservation of the plant,” she said. “We were able to secure federal funding through Parks Canada’s National Cost-Sharing Program for Heritage Places to support this restoration work.”
In June, David Makowsky, director of Ukrainian Culture Heritage Village with Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women in June, told the Western Wheel that the historic site was undergoing an occupational health and safety review and would remain closed until recommendations from the review were addressed to improve staff, contractor and visitor safety.
Makowsky also said the Province determined some historic sites would remain closed, as they were unable to safely implement measures and procedures that adhere to public health regulations.
The Turner Valley Gas Plant, located along the banks of the Sheep River on the east side of Turner Valley, has typically opened to visitors the Victoria Day weekend and closed for the season after the Labour Day weekend.
The facility opened to tours regularly after Alberta Culture and Tourism hosted a centennial anniversary in 2014 to celebrate the Dingman No. 1 discovery well that became Alberta’s first major oil and gas discovery.
Each season, the Province has hired a full-time worker to oversee the gas plant, along with seasonal interpreters to work on site.
The site has had ongoing management, remediation and monitoring of natural gas seeps and the ground-water containment system and flood berm. An underground barrier circles the perimeter of the site and brings groundwater to a small water treatment area where it’s filtered and tested to ensure it meets safety standards before being released into the Sheep River.
The heritage site consists of, but isn’t limited to, a compressor station, well sites, office building with washrooms and an interpretive centre in the historic light plant.
Last season, approximately 1,600 people visited the site.
Fowler said the Province doesn’t have any information on the impact this season’s lost revenue could have on the site.
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