This spooky power plant in Canada was the set of some famous horror movies
The Buntzen Lake Powerhouse buildings are nestled along the eastern shore of British Columbia's Buntzen Lake, previously known as Trout Lake. It was renamed in 1905 at the opening of the power plant.
You might recognize the century-old buildings as being the evil clown’s lair in the original 1990’s mini-series It by Stephen King.
It’s easy to see why the eerie setting of these buildings and remoteness of the area made it the perfect spot for Pennywise.
It’s also been a favoured set for several other movies including Freddy Vs. Jason and The Blair Witch Project.
The power plant also holds a lot of interesting history. It was originally built to provide hydroelectric power to Vancouver’s streetcars, making it the first generating station of its kind at that time.
The first powerhouse building was built in 1903 and the second was built just around the corner in 1914.
The project that was put in service by the Vancouver Power Company when they drilled a 13,000 foot long tunnel straight through Eagle Mountain to carry water from Coquitlam Lake to Buntzen Lake, from which penstocks would carry it to the powerhouses to generate electricity.
It is said that the project skirted around federal laws and resulted in multiple worker deaths. A small community also used to be located on the hillside above the plant, to house the workers and their families. However, by 1964 this community became a ghost town.
Though trespassing is forbidden, you can still take in these hauntingly beautiful buildings from afar. The one powerhouse can be reached by road but is gated off and the second has no roads or paths leading up to it and can only be approached by water.
There are many hiking trails around the lake with incredible views. Most of the trails extend from the recreation area into Indian Arm Provincial Park and across bridges, mountain streams and even a picturesque suspension bridge at the north end of the lake.
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