Cleveland Dam public alarm system testing underway

NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Nearly eight months after the Cleveland Dam opened without warning, killing two fishers on the Capilano River, a new public alarm system is in place.

Testing for the new system is underway, happening weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the next two weeks. There will be an audible and visual alarm for at least 90 seconds, possibly up to seven minutes per test.

Related articles: 

• Capilano River drowning result of ‘human error’ at Cleveland Dam

• Man missing in Capilano River after ‘catastrophic event’

Crews are starting the series of tests at the Cleveland Dam Screen House site and will move downstream. They will spend two days testing at each of the following sites:

• Cleveland Dam Screen House
• the Capilano Hatchery
• near the Trans-Canada Highway bridge crossing the river
• near the Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant

 

The system was installed to prevent a tragedy like the one last October, which left two men — a father and son — dead. They were fishing when the dam opened without warning, sending a surge of water rushing down the river.

An investigation found that incident was the result of human error. Three Metro Vancouver workers were fired in the weeks after the tragedy.