125-year-old power company opens new training facility

John Connors supervises a electrical crew perched high on a wooden power pole inside a large white building.

The crew is training at the new Distribution & Transmission Technical Training Centre at 22004-115 Ave.

"There's an aerial section where you'll see 11 poles and stubs with the different electrical equipment and our employees practice on these poles installing lines," he said.

"We also have another half which is our underground section."

The biggest differences from the old EPCOR yard at 5805-87A St., is the size of the centre and that the training can now take place indoors.

"Our previous training facility was very small. It could probably fit into this 8,500-sq.-ft building, yard and all," Connors said.

The new $2.5-million facility has a big-screen TV built into the training area next to the wooden power poles on the shop floor so crews can review training videos on the spot.

"Also in the yard we have a four-acre footprint to do all our outdoor training," said Connors, who believes the controlled environment will lead to the best safety standard in the industry.

Classes started this month at the new centre, where about 500 tradespeople will cycle through each year.

EPCOR staff look after distributing power through about 5,500 circuit-kilometres of line for about 400,000 homes and businesses in Edmonton.

It's a far cry from the company's humble beginnings 125 years ago.

"It all dates back to 1891 when a group of local entrepreneurs went and got a 10-year permit to build the Edmonton Electric and Lighting Company along the North Saskatchewan River," said Connie Smart, EPCOR Manager of Community Investment.

At the time the first power poles were installed along Jasper Avenue, only 700 people called Edmonton home.

You can see more from the EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Technical Training Centre at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and Monday at 11 a.m. on CBC TV.