Photo by Photo Submitted
BALLOON WAS TO BLAME – The New Year’s Eve power outage resulted after this balloon contacted these powerlines. Photo courtesy ATCO ELECTRIC YUKON
Balloon cut power to thousands of Yukoners
An errant balloon is to blame for a New Year’s Eve power failure that plunged about 3,000 ATCO Electric Yukon customers and their family members into darkness.
An errant balloon is to blame for a New Year’s Eve power failure that plunged about 3,000 ATCO Electric Yukon customers and their family members into darkness.
At approximately 6:35 p.m., ATCO began receiving reports of the outage.
The areas affected were south of Robert Service Way in Whitehorse up to and including Carcross, Teslin and the Southern Lakes area.
“Crews were dispatched to investigate, and it was discovered that a balloon had become entangled with one of our powerlines, causing a fault and the breaker to trip,” ATCO said today.
“Due to the widespread nature of the outage, our team had to restore power to customers in sections.”
The outage lasted approximately two hours, the company said, with crews restoring power to all customers by 8:32 p.m.
“ATCO would like to take this opportunity to remind customers to be extremely cautious when working or engaging in recreation activities near power lines, and to always follow these seven simple steps to safety,” ATCO added.
That information is available at: https://www.atcoelectricyukon.com/en-ca/electricity-safety.html
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Comments (15)
Up 2 Down 2
Chuck Farley on Jan 6, 2023 at 10:08 pm
Environment Canada... opps
Up 6 Down 5
Hindenburg on Jan 5, 2023 at 12:30 pm
Balloon? Oh the humanity!
Up 7 Down 10
unReal on Jan 5, 2023 at 7:30 am
The tragedy in all this was the power went down at the end of the second period during an IIHF quarter final between Canada and Sweden. Power came back on after the game was over. (I'm happy that TSN reran the game the next morning)
Up 15 Down 7
Groucho d'North on Jan 4, 2023 at 9:37 pm
You may recall the Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered major damage from the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2001 The plant made power until it was shut off after all the natural disaster stuff had concluded. In comparision, YEC's outside plant can be shut down by squirrels and ravens...and now balloons. Sleep well Yukoners.
Up 22 Down 17
Crunch on Jan 4, 2023 at 3:42 pm
Yes, what could possibly be next? I guess the public won’t buy squirrels, ravens, owls and mice every time. A balloon is by far the best one yet!! The next one will be the public’s fault for thinking the rates are too high.
Up 25 Down 12
Politico on Jan 4, 2023 at 1:30 pm
@Sorceress Your lack of knowledge about the electrical system is astounding. The fact the system went down and was recovered in 2 hours shows how robust the system. As for the shoes, the wires are covered in rubber, unless the shoe laces can cut through the insulation to the conductors nothing will happen! If you take a look at the picture you'll see the balloon is near the exposed wires. Ravens, squirrels and other critters, including a lineman, have found how dangerous those exposed connectors can be. Metaphysical circumstances and mercury in retrograde really. UTube has several good videos on how the electrical grid works and you should upgrade yourself or are you from Texas?
Up 28 Down 6
Dave on Jan 4, 2023 at 7:56 am
The shoes on fourth don’t trip the power because is doesn’t cross phases.
Have to contact two or more powerlines.
Use for head before you comment?
Up 18 Down 3
Mark on Jan 3, 2023 at 4:41 pm
@Sorceress
It would be good for the utility companies to weigh-in but I understand that there are pros and cons to deploying infrastructure above ground vs under ground. One significant consideration is how quickly an issue can be located then repaired. My casual observation is that most of our local power outages are addressed within 3 or 4 hours (?). I can certainly predict that finding and repairing an underground facility could take several more hours. Cost is a factor but I am sure we would rather have power restored more quickly. I trust that the utility companies have made the right choice based on industry experience and location (I note that underground facilities “may” be better suited in locations where hurricanes are an issue, etc).
Up 13 Down 17
Toe on Jan 3, 2023 at 3:25 pm
Yukon electric should have never sold to that half@ss Alberta company ATCO. Funny how Yukon doesn't even owned the electric.
Up 10 Down 21
Snowball on Jan 3, 2023 at 3:23 pm
Who in there right mindset believe this BS maybe upgrade the infrastructure Yukon electric even after that Alberta company ATCO bought it up can't even fix things up lazy people at the top of ATCO.
Up 15 Down 14
Nathan Living on Jan 3, 2023 at 3:20 pm
You cannot fault ATCO when a balloon causes a short which is what seems to have taken place.
Sure the grid is fragile but things of this nature do happen.
If Whitehorse residents are concerned about the outages it's time for mayor and council to strike a committee which is inclusive; said committee can ensure there is mitigation to lessen the impacts of errant balloons, ravens and squirrels which bring down portions of the grid. Its best for the City to appoint a balanced team to the committee which is inclusive of genders and ethic groups for sure. And of course people who have low incomes should be represented because they cannot afford backup systems to keep them warm during power outages
Up 29 Down 1
Resident on Jan 3, 2023 at 3:20 pm
This is exactly why metallic mylar and foil balloons are banned in some places. Nothing weird or unusual about a metal object causing a power outage when it hits a powerline.
Up 13 Down 13
stephen on Jan 3, 2023 at 3:06 pm
Go to Germany and in towns hundreds of years old ALL cables are underground. Very little is above ground.
Up 43 Down 19
Politico on Jan 3, 2023 at 1:36 pm
OMG. Just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder with the power here comes another danger. Now we are going to have to have armed guards out shooting down errant balloons!
Up 71 Down 33
Sorceress on Jan 3, 2023 at 1:19 pm
….such fragile infrastructure…. a balloon knocked power to a third of the Yukon… there are a pair of sneakers suspended from the powers lines on fourth avenue for years… lights are still on. Ravens, balloons, metaphysical circumstances, mercury in retrograde etc. I only have observation and questions at this point.