Manitoba Electrical Museum & Education Centre

Come visit the Manitoba Electrical Museum & Education Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

From November 12, 2009 through January 7, 2010, visit the All That Glows: Then & Now exhibit.

Located at 680 Harrow Street, guided tours are available for the general public, school, and community groups. Maximum group size is 30. Public viewing hours Monday to Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. Closed on statutory holidays.

Tours are by appointment only. To schedule a tour please call (204) 477-7905.

The museum is a volunteer organization composed of retired members of Manitoba Hydro and the electrical industry

Within the Museum, six main themes portray the Story of Electricity in Manitoba from the 1870s to the present, as well as a view into the future. On the lower level, a Discovery Area with electrical safety exhibits and seasonal exhibits are displayed.

Theme 1

Introduction to the Power System

Can you imagine living without electricity today? In the foyer of the museum, you will get a glimpse of the electrical panels used for switching and monitoring electricity, when this building was built in 1931. Once known as The Fort Garry Station, and later the Harrow Terminal Station, today these control panels and the switches outside are normally operated by remote control from the System Control Centre.

Theme 2

The Light Goes On 1882–1900

Upon entering the main gallery of the museum you will see a replica of an electric streetcar that symbolizes one of the primary uses of electricity at the time. Take a walk along the boardwalk to see how the streets of Winnipeg have changed. See what lit up the City when your great grandparents were young.

• Think about life before electricity and how we depend on energy to accomplish the simplest of tasks. Imagine living with no power to cook or refrigerate our food, no radio and television, no dishwashers, no computers or electronic banking, not to mention all the electronics for aviation and health care.
• Learn what electricity is and how dynamos were used to produce electricity for arc lights and industrial motors.
• Discover how the light bulb evolved from the arc light into the design we see today.

Theme 3

Energizing Manitoba 1900–1960

Proceeding into the gallery you will discover how water is used to generate electricity in the province of Manitoba.

• Follow 60 years of growth, beginning in 1900 with Manitoba's first hydroelectric plant, on the Little Saskatchewan River, 14 kilometres west of Brandon.
• Learn about the development of the Winnipeg River system and its six generating stations supplying hydroelectric power to Manitobans.
• Witness the hands-on generator to see how electricity is made.

Theme 4

Powering up the farm 1942–1960

In the early years, the benefits of electricity were enjoyed in cities and a few larger towns and farms, but much of rural Manitoba was without power. By 1942, only 1,000 of the 59,000 farms in Manitoba had electricity.

• Learn how the Government of Manitoba and Manitoba Power Commission undertook to electrify 50,000 farms over a 10-year period, beginning in 1946, after World War II.
• See how Farm Electrification succeeded with the help of home economist, Elizabeth Goulding, and other “Elizabeths” who helped promote the advantages of electricity and electrical appliances to Manitobans, thereby introducing housewives to the electrical revolution.
• Understand how having electricity on the farm was like having a hired hand and changed life on the farm forever.
• See how electricity gets from a power plant to your house.

Theme 5

Power from the north 1960–1999

The option of harnessing the power of the northern rivers to meet continued load growth for electricity offered new challenges. Imagine making the 13th largest lake in the world an integral part of the hydroelectric system and at the same time, improving the lake conditions for many of its other users. Think of the engineering involved in rerouting one northern river into another river to increase the power by 50%. These ambitious projects were started in the 1970s as part of harnessing the power of the north.

• Compare details of the smaller stations on the Winnipeg River with The Big Three generating stations on the Nelson River that will meet the need for electricity in years to come.
• Examine the facts about the newest and largest of Manitoba's generating stations, Limestone.
• Discover how environmental assessments of electricity-related projects help ensure that development is done with as little impact on the environment as possible.

Theme 6

Into the future

Our need for electricity has increased dramatically in the last century and it is expected to keep growing. At some point we will run out of water sites to develop and may have to use less desirable fuels for generating electricity. We can delay this need by doubling our efforts to conserve electricity.

• Witness the Power Smart energy saving features of the Electrical Museum and see how everyone wins with energy conservation.
• Learn about being Power Smart and how it helps keep the price of electricity in Manitoba among the lowest in North America.

Discovery Area (Lower Level)

Drop by the lower level and check out what's new in the Discovery Area. Seasonal exhibits will be featured.

• Visit Hazard Hamlet and learn about potentially hazardous situations if electricity is not used properly.
• Take in our new interactive Play and Work Safe — We Do display where you can see how today's utility workers suit up for their work day and the electrical and natural gas hazards to avoid in your everyday activities.
• Learn about electrical safety and meet our mascot, Louie.