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The fonds consists of industrial, engineering, and public relations films created for or by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority and its predecessors (the British Columbia Electric Company and the British Columbia Power Commission) from 1945 to about 1984. This material includes 164 unique film items in 16 mm film, each containing one or more printing elements such as prints, sound tracks, negative reels, selected out-takes and unedited footage. In some cases, there are no edited prints, only miscellaneous reels of footage.

Most of the BC Electric and BC Hydro films are the work of Vancouver producer Lew M. Parry. The fonds also includes a number of non-Hydro films produced by Parry, as well as a selection of prints and film material relevant to BC which had been circulated through (or stored at) Hydro's film library.

The sub-series consists of film produced by or the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority during the years 1961-1984. The films document the construction of major dams and hydro-electric plants at Arrow Lake, Duncan Lake and Mica Creek in the Columbia River basin and the W.A.C. Bennett (Portage Mountain) Dam on the Peace River, as well as the Revelstoke and Seven Mile projects of the 1970s. From the late 1970s and early 1980s, there is a group of public relations films on alternative energy sources and energy conservation. Also included are films on the Burrard Thermal Generating Station at Ioco, a Greater Vancouver bus route, and safety procedures for linemen, as well as some unedited footage and TV commercials.

The item is a release print of an educational film made in 1979 and revised in 1984. It shows proposed methods of harnessing the incredible energy of coastal tides, wave action and ocean currents, and the thermal gradient of warm surface water and cold depths. This film has special application to the B.C. coast and features scenes of familiar areas that have been surveyed for power generation.

The item is an answer print of an educational film, from around 1984 . The film examines the history and application of hydro-electric power. Earlier methods of harnessing the energy of moving water are summarized, as is the development of electrical power generation. Different types of dams, and the components of a hydro generating plant, are explained, using examples from around B.C. Power transmission systems, environmental considerations, and project financing are also discussed briefly.

The item is an answer print of a documentary film from around 1983. "What happens when the sockeye salmon's spawning instincts are confused by the construction of a power dam? This film is about how this problem is studied and solved." (BC Hydro Film Catalogue, 1985.)

The item is a release print of an educational film from 1983. "A case history of a family who took on the job of locating and eliminating the main sources of heat loss in their home. The step-by-step process of improving their home's energy efficiency is shown in a most informative way." (BC Hydro Film Catalogue, 1985.) "EE" stands for "energy efficient." The film is presented as a parody of the old Twilight Zone TV series, complete with a Rod Serling-type host.

The item is a workprint for a documentary film from 1982. It compares the two possible land/sea routes for the proposed natural gas pipeline from the B.C. mainland to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. The Williams Lake-Powell River (northern) route and the Delta-Vancouver Island (southern) route (via Roberts Bank and Valdes Island) are examined, and the engineering and environmental concerns affecting the two routes are discussed.

The item is a release print of an educational film from 1982. "This film, of special interest to people in business, shows ways to cut energy costs by making plants and buildings more energy efficient. It deals mainly with setting up an Energy Management Program for 'doing more with less'." (BC Hydro Film Catalogue, 1985.)

The item is a release print of an industrial film from 1981. In it, B.C. Hydro president J. Norman Olsen introduces a look at Hydro's strategies for meeting B.C.'s energy needs in the 1980s. The film considers the limited options for future hydro-electric development, low-water problems, load growth projections, and the promotion of energy conservation and more careful energy use during winter peak hours. Several forthcoming or proposed B.C. Hydro projects are discussed, including the Cheekye-Dunsmuir submarine power cable; the Site C development on the Peace River; the Hat Creek coal project; proposals for hydro-electric developments on the Stikine, Iskut and Liard Rivers; high-voltage transmission experiments, inert-gas switching systems, and other R&D projects; the Meager Creek geothermal project; and studies for a natural gas pipeline to Vancouver Island. Also discussed: Hydro rail operations; financing of Hydro projects; Hydro's growing demand for skilled personnel in specific fields and trades. The discussion of specific projects is illustrated with footage of the project or its physical setting, and there is especially good footage of the Stikine, Iskut and Liard River areas.

The item is a workprint of a promotional film from 1981. It is a revised/updated version of British Columbia Today (1976). It includes footage of Hat Creek, the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, Kootenay Canal, and the Mica and Seven Mile projects.

The item consists of a release print of an industrial film from 1981. In it, B.C. Hydro president J. Norman Olsen introduces a look at Hydro's strategies for meeting B.C.'s energy needs in the 1980s. The film considers the limited options for future hydro-electric development, low-water problems, load growth projections, and the promotion of energy conservation and more careful energy use during winter peak hours. Several forthcoming or proposed B.C. Hydro projects are discussed, including the Cheekye-Dunsmuir submarine power cable; the Site C development on the Peace River; the Hat Creek coal project; proposals for hydro-electric developments on the Stikine, Iskut and Liard Rivers; high-voltage transmission experiments, inert-gas switching systems, and other R&D projects; the Meager Creek geothermal project; and studies for a natural gas pipeline to Vancouver Island. Also discussed: Hydro rail operations; financing of Hydro projects; Hydro's growing demand for skilled personnel in specific fields and trades. The discussion of specific projects is illustrated with footage of the project or its physical setting, and there is especially good footage of the Stikine, Iskut and Liard River areas.

The item consists of 17 rolls of unedited film footage. The footage mainly comprises coverage of public meetings held at Madeira Park, B.C., sometime between 1978 and 1980, to discuss the social, economic and environmental impact of the then-proposed Cheekye-Dunsmuir transmission project on the Sunshine Coast. The transmission line, built in 1982-84, was created to supply electrical power to Vancouver Island by linking Cheekye substation near Squamish to Dunsmuir substation near Qualicum, using overhead transmission lines and submarine cables.

The item is an answer print of an industrial film from 1980. It records a "well start-up test" at the Meager Creek geothermal energy test project which took place on November 17, 1980.

The item is an industrial film print from 1980. In it, B.C. Hydro president J. Norman Olsen moderates a film intended to assist Hydro employees in providing factual information that benefits communication and enhances the public image of the company. The film sets out to examine the issues and questions that are most frequently raised by the public, and to provide the correct answers and explanations. The film is illustrated with employee interviews and footage of Hydro facilities around B.C.

The item consists of an answer print of an educational film from around 1979. It shows the two sides of the solar energy coin: long-range hopes for large-scale generation potential, and the very practical immediate applications for space heating, hot water and small-scale electrical output.

The item is an industrial film print from 1979. In it, the chairman of BC Hydro discusses the aims and objectives of B.C. Hydro -- what it is, what its primary functions ought to be, how it did its job during the past year, and its plans for the future. The presentation is illustrated with charts and graphs, as well as scenes at Hydro facilities around the province.

The item is a composite print of a documentary film made around 1979. It shows that B.C. is situated on a line of volcanoes, alive and extinct, that stretch from Mexico to Alaska, and that B.C. Hydro is "getting warm" in its drilling tests to tap this source of geothermal energy.

The item consists of a reel of reversal film footage from the 1970s. It shows various shots of the John Hart dam in Campbell River including the power plant, control room interior, river, reservoir, etc., plus some aerial shots.

The item is an answer print of an industrial film from 1979. It shows the creation of electrical energy from garbage or forest wastes and gas from fermentation. A fascinating study of the possibilities available to us in the conversion of biomass from a refuse problem into an energy source. The Iona Island Sewage Treatment Plant is featured.

The item is an answer print of an educational film from 1979. It consists of a cartoon-style electrical safety film, intended mainly for children in grades 2 to 8.

The item consists of a reel of print film footage from the 1970s. It shows Junior Forest Wardens members clearing weeds from a power line right-of-way.

The item consists of 2 reels of unedited film footage from 1979. It shows the demolition of old houses in downtown or West End Vancouver, January 1979, to make way for new development.

The item consists of a release print of an industrial film from the 1970s. It is a progress report on studies of the McGregor Diversion, a plan to boost the power output capacities of both the Bennett and Site One dams on the Peace River. The proposal was to dam the McGregor River and its tributaries, creating a large reservoir of water that would reach the dams via the Parsnip River and Williston Lake. The engineering, environmental effects, downstream flood control value, social impacts and costs of the plan are considered.

The item is an answer print of an educational film from around 1979. It shows that the modern methods of making the wind do useful work may be applied in British Columbia, where we have some of the world's best sites for the application of wind power. The field is open for the invention of better wind machines for generating electricity.

The item is a release print of a documentary film, from the 1970s. It contains a description of the proposed Site C project on the Peace River, seven kilometers southwest of Fort St. John. The film shows how the waters of the Peace can be harnessed a third time to meet the energy needs of the province. It also discusses the impact of the proposed development and mitigation opportunities.

The item consists of a composite print of an educational film from 1979. It shows proposed methods of harnessing the incredible energy of coastal tides, wave action and ocean currents, and the thermal gradient of warm surface water and cold depths. This film has special application to the B.C. coast and features scenes of familiar areas that have been surveyed for power generation.

The item consists of 2 reels of unedited film footage from 1978. The footage shows the demolition of King George School in downtown Vancouver which took place January 1978.

The item is a composite print of a promotional film from ca. 1978. It contains an overview of BC Hydro projects, activities and plans to meet the province's energy needs -- past, present and future. Sequences include: historical footage from 1950s of power plants in the Lower Mainland and the Bridge River development; the Peace River project under construction and now; flood control benefits of the Bennett dam; the provincial power grid; power line right-of-way made available for other uses; new submarine cable to Vancouver Island (late 1960s); Duncan and Keenleyside [Arrow] dams and side benefits [Kokanee spawning channel, Duck Lake waterfowl sanctuary, new beaches on Arrow Lake]; construction at Mica dam site; helicopter transporting transmission tower; crew stringing power lines on Mission Ridge; helicopter patrolling line; crew working on fallen line and tower; possible new energy sources for the future; B.C. Hydro building in Vancouver. "Hydro in Action" is probably a short version of this film.

The item is a release print of an educational film, ca. 1978. In it, Bob Fortune conducts a brief but comprehensive survey of electrical energy options open to British Columbia. Solar, wind and biomass are among the possibilities examined, and well as conventional hydro and thermal generation.

The item is a release print of a documentary film from 1978. It tells the story of the vast coal deposits in the Hat Creek Valley near Cache Creek, and B.C. Hydro's studies regarding potential thermal generation of electricity. Local residents' points-of-view, both for and against the proposed project, are presented. (Power Perspectives 1979.)