“The work you’re seeing is part of an upgrade of the system, which also includes updating the stations in Minto and Carroll,” Owen explained. “Part of that upgrade is replacing poles.”
He said there are poles that were part of the rural electrification project of the 1950’s and ‘60’s and like everything else, they eventually wear out. There are about 100 miles of poles being changed in the area, including around Nesbitt, Margaret and Fairfax.
New poles are also important for the other part of the local upgrade. The substations in Minto and Carroll are being updated. Instead of green boxes on poles with fencing around them,they will simply be boxes on the ground. They will be newer and safer for staff.
They will also be more powerful. The present system provides 8 kilovolts of power, whereas the newer ones will be 25 kilovolts like they are in other areas. Owen said Hydro is gradually moving to this type of system, which is better for customers, including those in rural areas.
“Farms are getting larger, and they have equipment like dryers where they use more power. They need more reliable service. The older stations like Minto and Carroll are seeing higher loads. With this upgrade, it will mean not only more reliable services, but it will allow us to expand service.”
While the work is going on, drivers on #10 and other areas of the province have to be careful. A report from the RCMP Westman Traffic Service said they had received a complaint from Hydro workers in the area around Minto. The complaint stated that semi-trucks were passing through the 60km work zone at such speed that crews on the poles were shaken and the structures themselves were swaying. The RCMP sent an officer to the area, he gave out fourteen tickets for speeding in a work zone in three hours and one for driving without a license. The non-licensed driver was going 110km in the work zone and was fined $1,359 for speeding and $298 for driving without a license.
Owen said Hydro and other workers on the road urge the public to drive with caution.
“We need all people using the roads, not just #10 highway, but also in other areas, to slow down please,” he said. “The construction season will soon be upon us.”
Until then, Hydro still needs to deal with winter. Last weekend, our area was hit with a few power outages due to the weather. Owen said because of the moisture, there was build up on power lines, which can cause swaying and damage. They use controlled short circuits to melt the ice off the lines that can cause short power outages, but prevent bigger ones. For the most part this was successful, but on Saturday morning, March 24, there were 2,000 homes in Westman that lost power for a little longer, with Hydro’s response time slowed due to the condition of the roads.
As for the upgrades, Owen was not sure of the timeline when speaking, but said they should be a boon for people in the area.
“Around the province in rural areas, it is a matter of replacing older equipment, upgrading the service to customers and making it so future upgrades are easier.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff