Gap Filler Detail

1960 – National Archives of Canada

The General Engineering Company Limited

March 14th 1960

INDEX

PART I

PART II

PART III

SEPARATE SUBMISSIONS

Photostat Copies of Field Notes:-

Transit Notes
Level Notes

March 14th, 1960

DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE
GAP FILLER STATIONS, NE ONTARIO
TIMMINS STATION - JOB No 5069

PART 1

1. Description of the Area -
   

   Timmins is a city of 2,800 people located in the centre of the Porcupine Mining District, North-Eastern Ontario. While industry is predominantly mining, small commercial and industrical enterprises are well represented. The community is well served with transportation by rail, road, and air. The Metagami River flows northward through the city and provides power from Hydro-Electric sites further north. The terrain is an alluvial plain with a few precambrian hills raised above the general level, and providing visibility for good distances. The land around Timmins has either been cleared or burned over and is now semi-agricultural.

2. Description of the Site-
   

   The site indicated for this Station is the top of Mount Jamieson, located roughly 8 miles westerly from Timmins, and at some 450 ft higher elevation. This is currently the location of a 80 ft high Forestry Tower, for which the Ranger's Cabin is located at the base of the hill, and on the south side. The site has many rock outcrops, and was cleared of all trees by a forest fire some twelve years ago. In general the ground falls away from the site rather steeply, but toward the North and East the slope is such as to permit grading to 8% or 10% maximum grades.

3. Access by Roads-
   

   The site is reached at present by road, by following Highway No 101 southerly from the Ontario Northland Station in Timmins, for 5.8 miles to its junction with the Kamiskotia Road. Then following the Kamiskotia Road Westerly a distance of 6.8 miles more or less, at which point an existing Forestry Dept road runs North-East about 3,105 feet to the foot of Mount Jamieson, and terminates at the Ranger's Cabin there, about 800 feet south of the Summit and 200 feet below it in elevation. A foot path then leads up the South slope of the hill, to the Tower.

   Highway No 101 is a paved road running from Matheson through Timmins to a point 30 miles South, where it joins a system of gravel roads leading through Folyet and Chapleau to Highway No 17 at Thesalon, Ontario. The Kamiskotia Road is an all weather gravel road, normally ploughed during the winter.

4. Access by Rail-
   

   The Ontario Northland Railways maintain freight, passenger, express and telegraph facilities in Timmins, which is the terminus of this branch of their line. Their head office is located at North Bay, Ontario. Adequate sidings are provided. Passenger transportation facilities are supplemented by Trans Canada Air Lines at Timmins, and bus lines to Folyet and Matheson.

5. Materials-
   

   Gravel suitable for concrete is to be found in a pit 300 feet from the Kamiskotia Rd, directly opposite from the turn-off to the existing access road to the Forestry Tower. A little care would have to be exercised in the selection of a well graded aggregate, as the percentage of sands increase with the depth in the pit. Arrangements for use of the pit can be made with Ontario Dept of Lands and Forests.

   All building materials are readily available in Timmins.

6. Lands and Forests-
   

   The Ontario Dept of Lands and Forests maintain a large depot at Timmins, under Chief Ranger Charles Grey, and acting Chief Ranger Ian Stewart. As is usual, these officials are very co-operative. No extensive forest fires were reported in the area in the last five years, but every year there are a considerable number of small grass fires, mostly caused by berry pickers. These fires are quickly controlled, and should not constitute a serious hazard.

7. Forest Cover-
   

   There is no heavy forest cover at the site or along the access road. The only trees in evidence were small birch, poplar, and alders, six to eight feet in height.

   Although the land is covered by patented mining claims, the surface is controlled by the Department of Lands and Forests, who do not anticipate any difficulty arising out of this aspect.

8. Field Survey
   1. A 12 inch square concrete monument was found at the top of the hill near the Forestry Tower, marked "Geodetic Survey of Canada, Triangulation Station". As far as could be learned the triangulation was never completed, and hence the co-ordinates of this point could not be learned. By simultaneous barometer reading, at this Monument and at the Geodetic Survey Monument in Timmins, the elevation of this Monument was found to be 1484.16 feet, and it was used as a bench mark for the purpose of this survey.

   2. Latitude and Longitude were found for the existing tower from the Dept of National Defence Maps of Pamour and Timmins, sheets 42A/NW and 42A/SW:-
      Latitude 48º - 32' - 10.7"
      Longitude 81º - 32' - 16.4"

   3. Permanent Survey Monument - Two PSM's were established on the grid, 200 feet apart, on Hub "D" (Line D 2 + 00 at Base Line) and Hub "H" (Line H 2 + 00 at Base Line). Both are witnessed by 4" x 4" cedar posts set in the ground and supported by rock cairns 10 feet from the PSM's along the grid lines.

   4. Azimuth - the average of 6 polaris shots gave the azimuth of the line connecting the two PSM's as 333º - 53.6'.

   5. Levels, were run on the site grid and the access road with spirit levels, and on the existing roads with Barometer.

   6. Access Road and Grid Traverses were run with Transit and Chain, existing roads with Transit and Stadia

   7. Land Ties - The Township Line separating Godfrey and Jamieson Township runs within a few hundred feet of the site. This line was traced for more than a mile but no posts could be located along it. Ties were made to corner posts of a number of patented mining claims.

9. Soil Investigation-
   

   Conditions at the Timmins site should cause no foundation problems. The average depth to bed rock at the Building and Tower site is about 1 ft. the material grades from organic silt at the surface to sand and boulders to 10" size. Numerous outcrops are visible. Along the Access Road, from the Kamiskotia Road up to PI 13 (approximately 1/2 the length) the soils were observed as sandy gravel, but for the second half surface observations were organic silt and organic clay. Near the Tower end of the road outcrops become visible in several places.

10. Engineering Recommendations
    1. Access Road - It is considered impractical to locate a permanent access road up the south slope of the hill owing to its rocky and steep character. There are almost vertical rock faces, and rough rock outcrops all around the proposed site, except for one gravel ridge running down from the summit in a North-Northwest direction. This ridge has been bulldozed for a trail, at some time in the past, but is now overgrown with brush.

       We therefore recommend that a new Access Road should be provided, approaching the hill generally from the North-West. In this case it will be more economical for a new road to branch off from the Kamiskotia Road about 1.5 miles further West than the existing road, where it could make use of an existing dirt road serving a wood-fuel area for the Dept of Lands and Forests. The new Access Road would follow this existing road a distance of 2,164 feet Easterly, from the Kamiskotia Road, and then continue a further 4,912 feet across country and swinging in a South-Easterly direction to connect to the gravel ridge referred to. The existing dirt road would require extensive improvements, so is included in the survey for the new road. Little clearing other than brushing is required for the new road, and fill material is plentiful along the route. Arrangements for snow-plowing this road in winter could be made with the local division of the Department of Highways.

    2. Building Site- There is adequate relatively level area at the top of the hill, which can be reached by the new road, therefore the Building and Tower can both be located on the summit of the hill. All foundations can be placed on solid rock, since overburden averages 1'-0" over this area.

    3. Heating would be by oil-fired space heater as supplied as part of the standard building equipment.

    4. Bulk Oil Storage would be required for the Stand-by Generator units, and would be provided by a 5,000 gallong storage tank, installed on concrete pads and surrounded by an earth or gravel berm. The tank would be locatged at the end of the Access Road and adjacent to the Power Building on top of the hill, and could be served by tank-truck.

    5. Water Supply - An existing dug well at the Ranger's Cabin on the existing access road, 20 feet deep, gives a satisfactory supply for 1 man. It is suggested a similar well located on the proposed new Access Road would give a better supply owing to the gravelly nature of the ground. Water could be transported from this new well by tank-truck to a storage reservoir in the foundations of the Building.

    6. Sewage Disposal - It is recommended that a small steel septic tank be provided and installed with earth mounded over it, and with a tiel drain leading across the hill to the North East of the building.

    7. Temporary Facilities - Adequate accommodation for construction crews would be available in and around Timmins, where several hotels and numerous motels are located. No temporary power is available, but a contractor could provide his own power for construction, unless the permanent power supply could be made available early enough. This might be possible, since the length of new transmission line would be short, probably less than three-quarters of a mile.

11. Power Supply-
    

    The following information was obtained from Mr AB Hayman, Consumer Service Engineer, Northeastern Region, Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario, 590 Shaw St, North Bay, Ontario.

    1. Electrical Primary Feeders in the General Area
       1. A single phase line passes 0.65 miles South West of the site. This line would have to be converted to 3 phase.

       2. The source of supply is the Mountjoy Distribution Station located 6 miles from the present end of the 3 phase line, and 13.5 miles from the proposed load. This distance would allow service with a maximum of 5% Voltage regulation and exactly 60 cycle.

       3. The distribution system is a 12,000 V/7,200 V, 3 phase, 4 wire, grounded system, on wood poles with cross arm and pole top pin; and is owned and operated by the Ontario Hydro Electric Power Commission.

       4. Interruptions from Jan 1st 1959 to Oct 1st 1959 were as follows:-

          15 Automatic interruptions with practically instantaneous closing
          Aug 16th - 2 hours to replace blown fuse - a branch fell on the line
          Sept 27th - 4 hours - trees fell across line.

    2. Electrical Primary Feeders required from Existing Feeders to the Site
       1. Hydro is prepared to supply the transformers, as a standard distribution type can be used

       2. The Customer would be expected to bear the cost of converting 7 miles of the present line from single phase to 3 phase, building 0.65 miles of new 3 phase line, and erecting transformer structures. The estimated cost of this work would be $18,000.00.

       3. Hydro would purchase back that portion of this new installation that would be needed if it became necessary to supply new customers who would also use those facilities.

       4. Metering - An indoor energy demand type of meter would be furnished by Hydro in a suitable location to be provided by the customer. Space requirement is 36" x 36" x 12".

       5. Rate would be standard rural rate as follows:-

          Service Charge - $1.35 per KW per month
          Energy - First 50 KW Hrs - 3.7¢ per KW Hr
          Second 50 KW Hrs - 2.4¢ per KW Hr
          Additional KW Hrs - 0.33¢ per KW Hr.
          Prompt Payment discount - 10%

12. Communications-
    

    At one time the Dept of Lands And Forests owned a single circuit open wire line to the Forestry Tower on Mount Jamieson. When land lines were replaced by radio this line was abandoned, and sold to Ontario Northland Communications for the sum of $1,000.00. This line is now in bad repair, and it is suggested that for any satisfactory operation the line would have to be rebuilt from the junction of the Kamiskotia Rd, and Highway 101. Further, the pole line is so poor that it would be preferable to install the line on Hydro poles which is common practice. If this were done the estimated cost of new work would be 9.55 miles of two circuit cable at $600.00 per mile = $5,730.00. This figure was not checked with the Telephone Co, but if more accurate figures are required they can be obtained from Mr EA Frith, Ontario Northland Communications, North Bay, Ontario. The Company did indicate that two circuits could be made available.

Sheet No 7

PART II

Preliminary Construction Estimate

Sheet No. 8

PART III

Drawing List

T685-31A, Siting Instruction Plan
Scale 1" - 50' (Print from Transparency off Linen Tracing)