Power outages to affect over 440 customers in Taylor and Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Two planned power outages will affect about 442 BC Hydro customers in Taylor and Fort St. John later this month.

The first outage is scheduled for December 17th in Taylor, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

According to BC Hydro’s outage list, 79 customers will be affected along sections of the Alaska Highway/Highway 97, Johnstone Road, Big Bam Road, Pingle Creek Road, Taylor Flats and Taylor Frontage Road while crews complete a pole replacement.

A second outage is planned for December 18th in Fort St. John, affecting 363 customers between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., also due to a pole replacement.

Impacted areas include 116th Road, 161st Road, 277th Road, 279th Road, 279A Road, 287th Road, Bennett Road, Blue Jay Road, Canary Road, Daunes Road, Donis Road, Duanes Street, Gourley Road, Gourley Subdivision, Hannaford Road, Hudson Hope Road, Highway 29, Jensen Avenue, Jensen Road, Joyce Avenue, Koop Road, Lower Cache Road, Upper Cache Road, Luciow 281st Road, March Road, Meek Road, Musgrove Avenue, North Cache Road, North Cache Creek Road, Old Hudson Hope Road, Robinson Road, Szoo Road along Highway 29, Tea Creek Estates Road, Thompson Road, Watson Road, Wright Road and Zolinski Avenue.

Affected customers will receive automated phone calls, emails or postcards ahead of the outages.

However, planned outages can be rescheduled if temperatures drop significantly.

According to Bob Gammer, community relations coordinator with BC Hydro, the utility reviews all scheduled outages during periods of very hot or very cold weather to protect customer safety.

“For the B.C. interior regions, we review outages when temperatures are -15 C or below,” Gammer said. “Windchill impacts may also be considered based on local forecasts, and temperature guidelines can be adjusted case by case when windchill is factored in.”

According to Environment Canada, temperatures in Fort St. John could get as low as -30 C next week, although it could still warm up by December 17th.

However, he added some work may still need to proceed even in extreme conditions if it is essential for system reliability or public safety.

If an outage is postponed, BC Hydro will notify affected customers before the scheduled start time and remove the outage from its online outage list.

Gammer noted that a planned outage in Fort Nelson scheduled for December 5th was postponed for this reason, with crews waiting for warmer conditions to complete the non-emergency work.

For more information on outage preparedness and safety, visit BC Hydro’s website.