All of the interesting things we found inside the Rossdale Power Plant

For close to a century, the Rossdale Power Plant has been a prominent landmark in Edmonton’s cityscape.

And while the plant stopped making electricity in 2008 and was fully decommissioned by 2012, it remains an iconic fixture along the North Saskatchewan River and is preparing to enter a new chapter.

As part of the River Crossing redevelopment plan, the City is seeking potential partnerships to repurpose the Rossdale Power Plant instead of tearing it down.

“The plant’s large scale, varied spaces present an opportunity to adapt its buildings for a variety of uses,” the City of Edmonton said.

“Its scale and location on the bank of the North Saskatchewan present an opportunity to develop something truly unique in our province, and to provide services and amenities in this special location.”

To get a feel for what this massive, iconic space could become, we got a rare opportunity to see the inside of the Rossdale Power Plant. As soon as we stepped through the plant’s switch house, we were greeted with soaring ceilings and a “dungeon”-like lower level below.

But what really caught our eye was the way that the power plant has served as a time capsule for Edmonton’s history, from its smoke stacks to the small things left behind.

Here are some of the interesting things we found inside the Rossdale Power Plant:

An old fire hydrant with an Edmonton Power sticker on it, before the company rebranded to EPCOR

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An old industrial elevator

This dusty vintage electrical control desk

This narrow tunnel that looks straight out of the Fallout franchise

Posters that highlight the history of Rossdale

This iron rod star

Allison Stephen/Daily Hive

What the other end of those iconic smoke stacks looks like

This old decommissioned switchboard

These giant motors

“Like so many unique attractions around the world, strategic capital investments will be central to our ability to see a new public facility come to life,” the City says.

The City is exploring potential partnerships and what that future could look like through a Request for Information open on the City of Edmonton website.

What would you like to see the Rossdale Power Plant become? Let us know in the comments.