Enova Power Corp. (Enova) crews have been dispatched across Ontario this week after a devastating ice storm on March 29 and 30 encased trees and powerlines in thick layers of ice and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers across the province. Utilities in the affected areas have been working around the clock to get power restored, but the scope of the damage, from blocked and icy roads to downed trees and branches, have hampered efforts.
On the evening of Sunday, March 30 a team of 10 Enova powerline technicians, utility arborists, and supervisors with bucket trucks and other utility equipment headed out to help InnPower restore power in the Innisfil and South Barrie areas. On the morning of Monday, March 31, an additional team of six powerline technicians and a supervisor headed out with three bucket trucks to help Lakeland Power restore power in the Huntsville and Bracebridge areas.
Today, an additional 14 powerline technicians headed to Listowel to help Hydro One repair damage caused by a line of severe thunderstorms that rolled through the area on Wednesday night.
“We’re incredibly proud of our team,” says Greig Cameron, President and CEO of Enova. “Getting power restored after storms of this magnitude and extent is a significant challenge and we are grateful to have team members who are willing to step up on short notice and help our fellow utilities. They are a testament to who we are as a company and the collaborative spirit of our industry.”
“A crisis like this requires all hands on deck,” adds Dorothy Moryc, Enova’s Vice President Grid Transformation and Chief Distribution Officer. “The hours are long and hard and at this time of year the weather can be unpredictable, which can make repairs difficult. Thank you to our team for taking the time away from their families to support our neighbours in need.”
Long history of collaboration
For decades, Ontario’s electric utilities have come together in times of crisis to back each other up and this ice storm is another example of that work. Enova is proud to be able to support our friends and neighbours as they repair the incredible amount of damage these storms left in their wake.
