BC Hydro poles downed with chainsaw in Port Coquitlam
VANCOUVER: An extremely dangerous act of vandalism along railway tracks in Gates Park in Port Coquitlam is behind a nearly four hour-long power outage for thousands of BC Hydro customers.
On October 16 at approximately 4:30 a.m., a pair of power poles was cut down with a chainsaw, and a third pole was cut but remained held up by wires. Along with overhead power lines being brought down, an underground line emerging on one of the poles was severed. Over 4,500 BC Hydro customers lost power as a result.
These poles held three high voltage lines, carrying 12,000 volts each. This could have seriously injured or killed a member of the public or our crews as they worked to make repairs.
BC Hydro crews made the area safe and restored power to customers around 8 a.m. Repairs involved replacing the damaged poles and connecting the power lines.
The motivation for this reckless behaviour is unknown. BC Hydro has asked the Coquitlam RCMP to investigate this incident and is also conducting its own investigation.
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
p. 604 928 6468
