Ottawa - Hydro Ottawa crews are preparing to leave Ottawa tomorrow morning for Nova Scotia to address the damage incurred after Hurricane Fiona passed through the province on Saturday, with heavy rain and winds reaching more than 150 kilometres per hour in some areas.
Hydro Ottawa crews are answering a call for help from Nova Scotia Power who are reporting over 400,000 customers without power across the province.
As a proud member of the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group, Hydro Ottawa offers mutual aid to other utilities across the North Atlantic during times of crisis, lending skilled tradespeople and equipment on a not-for-profit basis.
In an effort to restore power to the residents of Nova Scotia as quickly as possible, Hydro Ottawa is sending a crew of skilled power line technicians, along with other members of the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group, to assist in restoration efforts and repairing the damage from the storm, including unrooted trees, downed power lines and broken poles.
Quick Facts
- As it stands, the crew traveling to Nova Scotia consists of 15 power line technicians, a crew supervisor, safety partner, fleet mechanic, and 10 vehicles, including five bucket trucks and two radial boom derricks.
- Mutual assistance serves as an effective and critical restoration resource for utilities. Electric companies can increase the size of their skilled trades workforce by leveraging workers from other utilities in unaffected areas.
- Hydro Ottawa is a member of the North Atlantic Mutual Aid Group (NAMAG) and has involvement in additional mutual aid groups including the Canadian Mutual Aid Group (CanMAG) at the national level and the Ontario Mutual Aid Group (OnMAG) at the provincial level to ensure assistance is available in the event of a large scale event.
- Hydro Ottawa has previously sent crews to assist with restoration efforts in Maine (October 2019), North Carolina in anticipation of Hurricane Florence (September 2018), in Georgia following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma (September 2017) and in Connecticut/New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy (2012). Hydro Ottawa has also offered mutual assistance to Canadian utilities including Hydro Quebec, Toronto Hydro and Hydro One.
- Following the May 2022 Derecho storm that hit the nation’s capital, Hydro Ottawa received mutual assistance via OMAG from Cornwall Electric, Kingston Utilities, London Hydro, and Toronto Hydro.
- Heavy rain and flooding creates a unique and dangerous environment for utility workers and the public. Relying on their years of training, powerline technicians ensure public safety and restore power in the most challenging situations.
Quote
“Early this year, we saw first hand how devastating Mother Nature can be to our customers, our communities and our infrastructure. After receiving tremendous support from our neighbouring utilities, we know now, more than ever, how important it is to come together during difficult times. This is why I'm proud to see our dedicated employees jump to the front line to assist their peers in Nova Scotia.”
- Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer
Media Contact
Josée Larocque
Manager, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa
[email protected]
*This news release was updated September 26, 10:51 a.m.