The business for power : hydro-electricity in southeastern British Columbia 1897-1997

The evolution and development of the hydroelectric power industry in southeastern British Columbia was chronicled by recounting the first hundred years of the West Kootenay Power and Light Electrical Utility. The utility's first generator produced electricity in the summer of 1898 when hydro-electric companies were a new phenomenon. The factors behind the success of the company, the personalities of the promoters and entrepreneurs that launched the company, the complex interplay of unique events and the social and political context that illustrate a fascinating process in which electricity became an integral part of everyday life, are described. Refs., tabs., figs