Dear Editor,
I understand the frustration an all-day power outage like the one our customers experienced on August 13 can cause, especially during this pandemic period.
We know there is never a good time for an outage – planned or unplanned.
Transmission towers between Gold River and Woss that were damaged from last year’s and some that were at end-of-life needed to be repaired or replaced.
Adding to the complexity, helicopters were required to complete the work, which meant daylight and good weather was a necessity.
The requirement of helicopters to place the poles in challenging terrain meant this job could not wait until the fall and the less predictable weather.
When it comes to choosing the “best” date for planned outages, weather, availability of crews and special equipment, and input from local governments and businesses are important factors.
We even do our best to adjust around pro-d days to lessen the impact on students and families.
The critical nature of this work, its complexity and dependence on good flying weather, left us little room to move to a “better” date.
Nonetheless, I want assure customers that we work hard to minimize impacts and we appreciate your patience as we work to maintain and improve our system.
Stay safe,
Ted Olynyk
Manager, Community Relations
Vancouver Island-Sunshine Coast
BC Hydro