Wilderness Edge Retreat and Conference Center

Wilderness Edge strongly recommends visiting the dam while in the area. It is one thing to see photos of it. But its a completely different experience to actually walk right up to the dam. To hear the sound of the water rushing over the spillway, and to see the massive size of the dam itself.

Manitoba Hydro provides free tours of the facility and asks that you make arrangements in a few days to a week in advance. Phone 204-348-2603 to make arrangements.

Seven Sisters Generating station is Manitoba Hydro's largest producer of electricity on the Winnipeg River. Located 90km from Winnipeg it is known by engineers as the river's mightiest generating station.

The generating station produces 150 MW. The generating station was built in 1929 and completed in 1931 and included 3 turbine generators (units) producing 75 megawatts, in 1948 2 additional units were installed, and in 1952 the sixth unit was installed. This increased the output to 150 MW.

Seven Sisters consolidated 7 rapids into one water fall, with a hight of 18.6m. The completion of Seven Sisters also meant that Pinawa was to be retired to allow the water to be diverted back to Seven Sisters where it would be put to more efficiant use by the newer turbine generators.

In 1979 a major six-year rehabilitation project was conducted to extend the life of the dam by another 50 years. There was serious ice damage to the north dyke, powerhouse, spillway,and sluiceway structures, In the 1980s the stations electrical and mechanical equipment was also upgraded. This brought the total MW production to 165 MW.