The entire North Island was hit with an all-day power outage on Saturday, Sept. 28.
The power went out around 2:40 a.m. in the morning to over 7,000 BC Hydro customers and it wasn't able to be restored until around 10:30 p.m. that evening.
When asked to comment, BC Hydro spokesperson Ted Olynyk confirmed the outage was caused by a tree damaging a cross-arm on a transmission tower that feeds the entire North Island.
"The damage occurred about 15 kilometres north of Gold River," Olynyk said, noting it's rough terrain, and as such, it is very challenging for BC Hydro to get crews and materials there to fix any issues with the line.
He added BC Hydro "appreciates our customers concerns and understands their frustrations."
There's only one transmission line powering the entire North Island (Woss-North), so when the line gets damaged the region can be left without power for lengthy periods of time.
Port Hardy mayor Pat Corbett-Labatt said council is still in talks with BC Hydro about adding a secondary transmission line.
"We have been advocating with BC Hydro to add a secondary power line, and they are certainly sympathetic to it," Corbett-Labatt said. "They know how much it costs, and I know that it's still on their radar."
She confirmed they have spoken to various levels of government about the need for a secondary transmission line, but also wanted to remind residents that winter season is coming.
"Make sure you have your emergency preparedness kit ready," she added.
