A major landmark west of Edmonton went up in a huge cloud of smoke. The Wabamun power plant was imploded Thursday morning.
A torn steel frame is all that remains of a plant that stood in the community for 55 years.
It was just after 8 a.m. when a demolition crew pushed the plunger on the massive plant. A series of blasts were heard before the building started to cave in.
"It was an eyesore in a way, but it's just like taking part of a town away I suppose," said resident Gerald Kerrison.
It was back in March when the skyline in the town of Wabamun drastically changed. The demolition of the three smoke stacks at the old TransAlta Wabamun power plant got underway.
Built in the 1950s, the Wabamun generator was at one point the cornerstone of Edmonton's power grid. Its gradual closure was announced in 2002. It was eventually shut down for good last year.
"It was kinda of cool how everybody's dad worked at the Wabamun plant and it was a real boom to the economy," said resident Anne Cooper.
Crews will now use machines to take it apart piece by piece. The metal will be hauled away on trains and then recycled.
The site should be levelled by the end of the year. CTV News was told this is the future site of some high rise condos and a serene waterfront.
With files from Sean Amato
