Watch as old Lambton, Ont., generating station demolished by implosion

Former power plant implodes The former Lambton Generating Station near Sarnia, Ont. is now a pile of rubble. (Source: Ontario Power Generation)

The former Lambton Generating Station (LGS) is now rubble after a successful implosion Saturday morning.

At 7:45 a.m., Ontario Power Generation (OPG) took down the smokestacks and remaining structures in Courtright, Ont.

"We needed ideal weather conditions and today was favourable, so we safely brought down the three stacks and the core boilers," says Neal Kelly, spokesperson for OPG.

Demolition of the site began in 2018 but was halted in 2020. Delsan I.A.M Environmental Services completed the work after being hired last year.

"They're an excellent demolition company that has a lot of experience," says Kelly. "We used them to bring own our colal generating station at Nanticoke on the North Shore Lake Erie a few years ago. They did an excellent job there, and they did an excellent job here,” he said.

LPG was a four-unit station 2000 that provided a lot of power for the southwest part of the province.

The coal-fired station opened in 1969 and closed in 2013 when OPG was shutting down its coal facilities.

Kelly says in 2005 about 25 per cent of Ontario's electricity was coal-powered, and by 2014 it was down to zero.

"It was big part of the of the St. Clair Township area for many years," says Kelly. "At its peak we had upwards of 900 employees there so it's a big employer in the area. We have a lot of retirees that still live in the area and we thank them for their service over the years and to help helping provide safe, reliable power."

Kelly says cleanup will continue on what will eventually become a brownfield industrial site.

"It's a valuable piece of property and it's uniquely situated as well," says Kelly. "Hydro One has a switchyard that is on the site, and it's an active switchyard and that is needed to safely get the power out. It will be an electricity site, but we'll decide what we do with it over the coming months.”