Nixon's other Water Gate

Yesterday I wrote about the sad demise of publicly-owned electricity in Ontario and what Ontario Hydro was, and what it could have still been.  In 1959, two great publicly owned power utilities, Ontario Hydro and the Power Authority of the State of New York (PASNY), officially opened the St. Lawrence Project.  The power dam, spanning the St. Lawrence River from Cornwall Ontario to Massena New York is better known now as the Robert Moses-Robert L. Saunders dam, named after the respective (and respected) former Chairmen of PASNY and Ontario Hydro.  Every cost associated with the project was shared equally by the two agencies.  Each provided expertise and labour to the other.  The international boundary became rather blurry in that particular locality as a result.  The project was a testament of what international cooperation and public agencies can do.  The project was a tremendous boon to solving the electricity shortages that existed in Ontario and New York at the time.  It also helped meet Cold War defense requirements.  The US Air Force contracted with PASNY for the St. Lawrence project to supply all of the power it required at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, which was a key Strategic Air Command installation located about 50 miles away from the power project.

There was a lavish ceremony at the international boundary line on the dam on June 27 1959 when the project was officially opened.  A monument to freedom was unveiled at the site.  Special chairs upholstered in red leather were even made for the two leaders presiding at the ceremony-- Queen Elizabeth II of Canada and U.S. Vice President Richard M. Nixon.  The chairs are now on display at the visitor centre on the Canadian side of the dam in Cornwall.  Yesterday afternoon, while I was making extensive photocopies of old Ontario Hydro annual reports, I happened to find an excellent colour photo in the 1959 report of The Queen and Mr. Nixon at the opening ceremony with James Duncan, the Chairman of Ontario Hydro.  The photo to me represents the idealism of benefitting the public good that prevailed throughout the 1950's and 1960's, an idealism that even was quite prominent among Conservatives and the private sector.  The photo is also entertaining.  The young, dignified, and articulate Queen with the Vice President, who always seemed to look (and we later found out he really was), insecure and under threat.  Mr. Duncan looks every bit the part of an administrator.  Idealistic and sure of the achievements he has made, but also appearing cautious and wary of letting on the occasion was one for celebration.  In the case of Nixon though, opening a power dam was the first "water gate" he would encounter!