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Power goes out again for 884 Gold River residents

Outages have been frustrating for a village made up of more than 50% seniors, Mayor says
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Power for 884 Gold River residents has been out since 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11. BC Hydro outages map

Eight hundred and eighty four Gold River residents woke up without power this morning.

Power was out for BC Hydro customers along along the Highway 28 corridor south of the the village since just before 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

This is the second power outage the area has dealt with in 2022 already.

Mayor Brad Unger said it’s been frustrating.

“With the amount of snow we’ve got, and the power outages at the same time, it’s been a long ten days.”

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While many of the city’s power lines are underground, the above ground infrastructure is being affected by strong winter storms blowing through and knocking over existing vegetation.

Unger said he’s noticed BC Hydro crews clearing some growth over the past week, but there is lots of work to be done, he noted.

“We’ve talked to Hydro for a couple of years on this,” he said. “They were supposed to be taking down trees last year, but during the heat wave in the summer no crews got here.”

The mayor has been living in Gold River since 1985, and said power issues are worse than any time he can remember. It’s specifically been an issue for the village’s aging population.

“More than 50 per cent of our population are seniors,” Unger said, “And if they’re on electric, and they don’t have a wood stove, they’re getting cold.”

The Gold River Revellers Seniors Club, and the village have been making a point of promoting initiatives that encourage residents to check up on their neighbours in these instances.

“Look after your neighbour,” Unger said. “Knock on their door, and make sure they’re OK.”

Power was back on in the village as of 10:30 a.m.



editor@campbellrivermirror.com

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