With nearly 1000 people of all ages and various dignitaries in attendance under a typically bright summer sun, it certainly seemed to live up to the moniker of being “The Best Dam Celebration in the Province.”
The iconic Gardiner Dam marked 50 years with an anniversary event held on Friday, July 14 at the Visitor Centre near Danielson Provincial Park. The provincial government picked up the tab on the festivities, including kids’ games, a free lunch of hot dogs, lemonade, chips and cupcakes, boat demonstrations by local conservation officers, and even giving away nifty sets of commemorative postcards. As well, local country singer and songwriter Will Ardell entertained the masses with some original tunes and crowd favorites.
Included on the guest list of dignitaries was Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Ralph Goodale; Scott Moe, Minister of Environment & Minister Responsible for the Water Security Agency; SaskPower President & CEO Mike Marsh; and Susan Ross, President of the Water Security Agency.
As well, sitting in the front row were family members of James Gardiner, the namesake of the structure and the fourth Premier of Saskatchewan.
Called Saskatchewan’s most critical piece of infrastructure in the province, Gardiner Dam, which helps fill Lake Diefenbaker, is also the largest infrastructure in the province and one of the world’s biggest earth-filled dams. More than 60% of the province depends on Lake Diefenbaker and the South Saskatchewan River for their water supply, and if the dam was designed and built today, the cost factor would tally over $1 billion; a colossal increase from its original price tag back in 1967 of “only” an approximate $120 million.
The dam also feeds the Coteau Creek Hydroelectric Station, which opened two years after the dam did and provides 186 megawatts of electricity, or roughly 4% of Saskatchewan’s current 4,490 megawatt electrical grid.
“It’s safe to say that everyone here has been touched in some way by Gardiner Dam,” said Marsh, owing to the vast reach that the facility has in impacting residents of the province, whether it’s through daily water usage or recreational activities.
“We’re very fortunate to be the generation benefitting from the vision of those leaders who saw what Saskatchewan could be,” Minister Moe said. “Our population and businesses are able to grow because we can support them with water which is all made possible by Lake Diefenbaker and Gardiner Dam.”
Mike Gardiner said his grandfather’s dream was to have the dam built and see water conservation in the province go on the rise that would end up benefiting the West, as well as the entire country.
The 64-metre tall, 5,000-metre long dam opened after nine years of construction on July 21, 1967 as part of Canada’s centennial celebrations at the time.
However, its origins began in the Dirty Thirties at a time when the most severe cases of drought were being experienced on the prairies. In 1935, an act establishing the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) was passed by the federal government, with the agency’s mandate being to promote soil and water conservation by developing dugouts and small dams for domestic use and community storage projects for irrigation.
Gradually, more ambitious projects were undertaken, including the construction of larger dams, and in January of 1944, James Gardiner – at the time serving as Minister of Agriculture in Ottawa – authorized test drillings and revived the dream of a dam on the South Saskatchewan River.
That dream would have a few swerves and twists along the way to being realized, however. Exploratory drillings at seven sites on a 160 km stretch of the river revealed an unsatisfactory foundation, so three additional sites were investigated that saw one being the most suitable. A report dated May 30, 1947 stated that, subject to further detailed studies, a dam could be constructed for about $66.4 million.
But then the project was left suspended, owing to the fear that the post-war unemployment had failed to materialize at the time. It wasn’t until 1952 and a study by a Royal Commission that the vision of a dam started to gain momentum, with Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas becoming interested in the project. As well, John Diefenbaker made the project’s undertaking an election campaign promise in 1957 when he formed a minority government.
From there, a federal-provincial agreement for developing the dam project was signed on July 25, 1958. Ten months later, a ceremony marking the start of construction was held, and Prime Minister Diefenbaker addressed the thousands of people in attendance.
“Canada seeks to ensure that there will be less heartbreak and surer hope in this region in years to come.”
With that, he pulled a lever and half a ton of dynamite exploded under the earth of the river bottom.
The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Today, Gardiner Dam and the immediate area continue to thrive, and it’s more than likely that a celebration for the facility’s 100th anniversary will need to be organized in 2067. The popularity of the dam and the surrounding area is a result of the efforts of provincial park programs and groups such as Lake Diefenbaker Tourism, which works to promote the region and show prospective residents, tourists and businesses what the lake area has to offer.
