The recent power outage in Nakusp scheduled for Friday, July 5 to was not without controversy. The BC Hydro-planned outage was held between 7 and 11 a.m. so that markers could be placed on the line across the highway between the substation and the Arrow Lakes Hospital to increase visibility of the line for helicopters traveling to and from the hospital.
Many locals were caught by surprise by the announcement, including Nakusp mayor Karen Hamling. When BC Hydro representative Mary Anne Coules was queried about the process leading up to the decision for the outage to take place on a Friday morning during the summer’s peak visitor season, she told the Arrow Lakes News that the date had been decided upon with consultation of local politicians.
Coules said that New Denver mayor Ann Bunka and Hamling had both been approached in May about holding the outage in June 8. Because the named date was the day for grad celebrations in Nakusp, Hamling had told Coules it wouldn’t work.
Coules then asked about July 5 or 6 as possible dates. Hamling told her that July was tourist season, and asked if there was a reason the outage would be scheduled for a Saturday.
The BC Hydro representative responded that she was aware July was peak season in town, and asked if there were any specific events scheduled for either day. Word was forwarded on from the tourist information centre that there were none known about, other than Parkour on Friday afternoons and that an evening outage wouldn’t be good for business at the local pubs.
Mayor Hamling received an email on June 25 that the upcoming outage was planned for the morning of July 5. The notice surprised Hamling, who would have preferred a time not during the height of tourist traffic through town.
“If I had to choose a date, it would not have been in the summer during the hot weather and the busy time of year,” said Hamling in an email to Coules disputing that the date for the power outage had been chosen or approved by the mayors in any way.
In response to queries about how the decision was made, Coules replied that she “did receive confirmation from all of the Mayors that there were no significant community events planned for Friday, July 5. In addition, the outage was originally planned from 8 a.m. to noon and we later rescheduled the outage from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. to help minimize any impacts.”
The BC Hydro representative also said that for public safety reasons it was critical that the work be completed as soon as possible, and that Hydro did our best to accommodate the three affected communities of Nakusp, New Denver and Silverton.
Local merchant Marie Wrede, co-owner of Little Mountain Outdoor Gear, was not impressed.
“This is not acceptable,” said Wrede. “I think a lot of people feel the same way.” The business owner said the loss of sales due to the power outage was “pretty substantial” and said that when she called Hydro, she found they were “not helpful.”
Wrede became aware of the planned outage three days before it took place when she heard it on the radio, and subsequently saw a poster at the post office. That’s not good enough, she told the Arrow Lakes News, particularly when the lion’s share of a year’s earnings takes place during a few short weeks in summer.