48-hour loss of power can't be forgotten

Jan 23, 2008

To the Editor:

Please accept this as an open letter to Hydro One.

I want to thank the hard working crews that were out in the snow, rain and wind and getting our power back, Jan. 9, 10 and 11.

And many thanks to the Hydro folks manning the phones keeping us updated.

Our memory fades once the power is restored and we forget the 48 hours of inconvenience.

I’d like to remind all about the past loss of power.

Year 2006: Twice on Jan. 17, 7 1/2 hours; March 14, 1 1/2 hours; March 29, 4 hours; April 1, 8 hours; April 3, 2 hours; Aug. 3, 5 hours; and Sept. 24 to 26, 50 hours. This is a total of 78 hours in 2006.

Year 2007: Jan. 17, 1 hour; Feb. 22, 4 hours; June 8, 4 hours; June 28, 3 1/2 hours; July 10 and 11, 23 hours; July 19 and 20, 8 hours; Sept. 14, 2 hours; Nov. 27, 5 hours; and Dec. 16, 3 hours. This is a total of 53 hours in 2007.

Proof brushing really does work.

But in 2008 from Jan. 9 to 11, as some of us know, we lost power for 48 hours — almost the same as all of 2007.

From what I’ve been told our loss of power exceeding 24 hours is due mostly to trees taking out lines in remote areas.

Getting the helicopters into the air, locating them and then getting people on the ground to service these lines is the major cause of long times without electricity.

We have many loggers out of work. Perhaps they could access these remote areas and increase the width of the right of way so that should a tree come down it wouldn’t make contact with the lines.

I recognize we can never expect the same service as the cities and towns, but if we just can get the down time down to a maximum of six hours it would be a lot better.

Again, thanks Hydro One crews for getting the power back and here’s to some calmer weather.

Ann Edwin Gaupholm
Kearney