VANCOUVER: A defining feature of downtown Vancouver’s alleyways for nearly eight decades has now disappeared. BC Hydro has completed a landmark project to remove H‑Frame electrical structures that once lined Gastown, Chinatown and the downtown core, replacing them with modern underground systems to improve safety, reliability and aesthetics in some of the city’s busiest and most historic neighbourhoods.
“For generations, these H-Frames were part of the downtown landscape, but they no longer met modern safety standards,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “Their removal is a major step forward in protecting public safety, supporting urban growth and ensuring Vancouver has the reliable electricity system it needs for the future.”
For 80 years, the narrow six‑metre lanes of downtown Vancouver carried high-voltage lines and transformers mounted on wooden H-Frame structures built in the 1950s. Over time, as buildings grew taller and laneways filled with windows, fire escapes and other urban infrastructure, these overhead installations became too congested with other urban infrastructure, making it more difficult to safely access and maintain them.
"This program was all about making Vancouver safer and future‑ready," said Charlotte Mitha, President and CEO of BC Hydro. "By moving services underground, BC Hydro has minimized safety hazards, standardized voltage supply, reduced equipment footprint and modernized hundreds of building connections, laying the foundation for future upgrades."
The project to remove the H-Frames, initiated in 2008, was one of the most complex undertakings in BC Hydro’s history. Engineers had to navigate alleyways already crowded with sanitary and storm sewers, water and gas supply lines, and cable and telecom infrastructure. The work spanned 80 blocks in the downtown core, and required close coordination with the City of Vancouver, TransLink, other utilities and organizations, and local residents and businesses.
With the removal of 355 H-Frames, 368 poles and 346 overhead transformers, alleyways are now safer, more accessible and visually improved. The new underground system features a primary open loop design, enhancing reliability and reducing the risk of vandalism. Electrical rooms in impacted buildings were also redesigned to accommodate the new underground service connections.
“BC Hydro’s H-Frame replacement project marks a significant milestone in strengthening the reliability and safety of our downtown electrical system,” said Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver. “We appreciate the patience of residents and businesses throughout this long-term project and thank BC Hydro for their continued partnership in building a resilient Vancouver.”
The $158 million investment has not only removed a piece of Vancouver’s past, but has also ushered in a safer, modernized grid that reflects BC Hydro’s commitment to innovation and public safety. This project is a part of BC Hydro’s 10-year Capital Plan, which contains $36 billion in community and regional infrastructure investments across B.C. to support economic growth and electrification, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address load growth and increased customer connections, and sustain and upgrade existing assets.
In Vancouver, these major investments include:
- three new substations – West End, East Vancouver and Boundary – each designed to power up to 70,000 new homes;
- expanding and modernizing existing substations;
- upgrading distribution systems downtown and adding feeder capacity in growing neighborhoods;
- replacing aging high-voltage infrastructure for reliability; and,
- expanding the transmission network to support future load growth.
These investments will ensure Vancouver’s homes, businesses and industries have the clean electricity they need – today and for decades to come.
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
e. media@bchydro.com
p. 604 928 6468