The charges went off as planned, but when the smoke cleared it became clear they didn’t do what was expected.
“We only took out the front side in the blast the back side was left stiff to push it over,” says Jim Redyke with Dykon Demolition. “In this case, it didn't react that way and it dropped straight down.”
The smokestack on the New Brunswick power generating plant dropped almost five metres. The building also partially collapsed.
People living in the evacuation zone can now return home. The plan is to bring in engineering experts to check the structural integrity of the building still standing.
“We're going to be on hold for the next little while until we have a solution,” says Karim El-Kjatib. “Once the solution is determined and accepted, we’ll proceed and try this again.”
That is not expected to happen for a week or more.
For now, the stack should remain upright.
“It's sitting on itself, and with the height to width ratio you have to take out six or seven feet to get it to fall over center,” says Redyke. “If it's sitting itself in perfect symmetry and it's crushed uniformly around, it won't fall over.”
The plant has been producing power since the 60s. NB Power decided to decommission it back in 2012.
“It's a sad day because in one generation we saw it go up, the plant, and we also get to witness it coming down,” says Dalhousie resident Francoise Duguay.
Officials with the utility say it’s difficult to see the plant close, but didn’t rule out future development of the site.
“The facility will be here in an industrial setting for the future should other opportunities come along this land could be available for those Enterprises,” says Keith Cronkhite, NB Power’s vice-president of generation and business development.
Tickets were sold for the chance to detonate the explosives. The $6,000 raised will be used to support the local recreational facility.
Siblings Claire and Grant Morin won the draw. Their grandfather, Ronald, is a longtime resident of Dalhousie.
“With it goes all the jobs that were here,” he says. “Our town got hit quite hard, especially with the mill going down, the chemical plant going down and now this. These are good paying jobs. I can't see in the future ever replacing those jobs.”
Some of the 150 employees retired, and others were transferred to the nearby substation.
Mayor Clem Tremblay wants the community to stay positive.
“It's a sad moment for the people of Dalhousie,” he says. “But I think we have to realize that we have to look forward.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis
