Heavy Frost Stops Rural Power Supply
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Thick hoar frost weighed down both tree branches and steel power lines coated with aluminum (bottom) causing the wires to touch each other and then because of high voltage—melt and fall to the ground, causing district-wide electrical supply failures. There were also an estimated 100 fuses tripped after the heavy frost formed that were re-set or “re-fused” by linemen using a special tool. Top picture meanwhile shows one resident at home with candles during the massive power failure. Story, other pictures in this week's paper. ©Provost News Photos.
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Hundreds Bring in New Year Day Powerless
Heavy frost in the Provost rural areas greeted hundreds of people who put up with cool houses and no power which also affected water supplies on New Year’s Day.
Although rural residents had been dealing with some electrical stoppages beginning on December 28, January 1 was the worst.
Up to 1,000 customers—counting oilfield installations and other places there are meters—had electricity cut off over a four day span.
Local FortisAlberta worker Kelly Knorr said that Provost residents escaped the electrical problems but the rural areas of Bodo, Provost, Hayter, Czar and Cadogan were affected. Amisk had “maybe some bumps and brief outages there.”
FortisAlberta linemen worked through the nights and an extra eight workers were sent from Camrose to help out in the Provost and Wainwright areas “because we knew we faced more trouble than we could handle” said Knorr. Residents in the Town of Wainwright also experienced power stoppages.
Four workers from Camrose were sent to the Provost area and four to the Wainwright area.
When heavy frost builds up on power lines the weight can break the wire—or a neutral wire and an energized wire can hit together causing fuses up on poles to blow out.
There were an estimated 100 fuses tripped after the heavy frost formed that were re-set or “re-fused” by linemen using a special tool.
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Sometimes when the wires hit each other that may be caused by extra weight and wind, the wires that are transmitting 14,000 volts melt and fall to the ground.
Full story and photos in January 9 edition of The Provost News.
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8 Curlers Advancing to Alberta Winter Games
Two curling teams, aged 16 years and under that competed in recent Zone 7 action will advance to the Alberta Winter Games February 14 - 17 at Leduc.
One was a team of boys and the other a team of girls that played at Waskatenau, Alta. this past weekend.
Full story and photos in January 9 edition of The Provost News.
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Broken Waterline Disrupts Service in Town
Full story in January 9 edition of The Provost News.
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Street Spokesman
This week we ask : "How Can We Save Energy?"
. . . and we heard opinions from Bruce Banks, Devon Froland, Rachel Bouma, Tanner Nelson, and Rob Renner.
Check out the January 9 edition of The Provost News for their answers.
Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here. |
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This, along with many other stories and pictures can be found in this week's edition of The Provost News.
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