9/13/2022
Upon returning to the States after Benny Lars weeklong trip to the James Bay Project, a decade rolled by and Thermodynamics’ Second Law predicting increasing entropy tugged on Benny’s body until he moved like molasses in a refrigerator. Benny was now interested in seeing the west side of James Bay before the somber dude with the black hoodie and scythe went looking for him. This trip involved an automotive romp over to an industrial town, named Cochrane, and then boarding a train called the: POLAR BEAR EXPRESS to access a Cree village named Moosonee. But let’s begin with a brief history of hydroelectric power in the province of Ontario. This is the second largest province of Canada with an area of both land and water of over 415,000 sq. miles or 10.8% of the total of the Maple Leaf Country. It is bisected east to west by the Laurentian Divide on the southern end that moves water into the Great Lakes and then to the Atlantic Ocean. Anything above this divider will flow north into the James/ Hudson Bay/ Arctic collector. Ontario decided to be thrifty and generate the most hydropower in the South where the populations and demands are closest. There are some small dams holding back the north flowing waters, but they do not have anywhere near the capacity of the James Bay Project, so a few were utilized on the Albany and Abitibi Rivers. The bigger producers are on the Nipigon and Kaminisktiquia Rivers that utilize the dropping terrain into Lake Superior. Benny departed for Moosonee by entering at Sault St. Marie via the Marie International Bridge and running the picturesque eastern shore of the immense Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in the world. The terrain here is mountainous and affords breath taking views of the clear and pristine lake that is a major transportation link for raw materials such as iron ore for automobiles and maple syrup for pancakes. Leaving the vertical commotion of the Lake Superior terrain, Benny headed north.
Torked Truth 