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Smithers merchant blasts BC Hydro over planned outage

Home Hardware owner says the weekday outage will cost him five figures of profit
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The owner of the Smithers Home Hardware wants BC Hydro to reschedule a planned outage that he says will cost him thousands of dollars. (Black Press file photo)

A Smithers merchant is crying foul over BC Hydro's plans to shut down power for a day, a move he claims will unnecessarily cost his business thousands of dollars. 

Theo Bandstra, owner of Smithers Home Hardware on Third Avenue, received a notice on July 26 that a planned outage, necessary to replace a power pole, will occur on Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The notice, sent to about 140 affected customers, stated such outages allow BC Hydro to safely maintain and improve the electric system, reducing the frequency of unplanned outages caused by storms and equipment failures. 

The outage will affect about 130 residential lots. A further ten customers are either government offices or businesses. Bandstra is sympathetic with the other few businesses that will be affected, but notes none will experience a loss of revenue anywhere close to his 13,000 sq. ft. retail space. 

“Our store will lose in the order of five figures of profit. We have expenses that have to be paid whether we're open or not,” Bandstra said. “On top of that, I have employees who will lose a day of work, which really sucks for them.” 

He compared BC Hydro’s actions to a spate of thefts currently sweeping through the retail sector.

“BC Hydro is shutting down our businesses, which has the same result.” 

BC Hydro told Black Press they are now reviewing the planned outage over concerns for its crew during a forecasted heatwave. 

Nonetheless, should the planned outage proceed, Bandstra said there's no way he can stay open, as the use of a generator is impractical for a store of this size. “The cost of bringing in a generator from Terrace and getting it fitted for one day would basically cancel out our revenue. It's a ton of work as well, involving gas fitters and electricians.” 

BC Hyrdo's policy is to reschedule maintenance work only if the outage impacts public health or safety. 

"We understand there is never a good time for an outage – planned or unplanned – and we never initiate planned outages unless there is very important work to be done to ensure the continued integrity of the electrical system," BC Hydro spokesperson Mike Kellett said. 

He added BC Hydro strives to schedule these operations during periods least likely to disrupt customers. This often means the work is carried out overnight or on weekends, although daylight is sometimes required for safety and visibility. 

Bandstra, however, said the company has to do better.  

“This is not an emergency outage, it's just a pole replacement that could happen any day or time of the week,” he said. “In the past, I think BC Hydro has done well to do these things when it's not interrupting regular business hours. But I would like to see them have a little more empathy toward local businesses, and the lost profits they need to keep running.” 

Kellett said BC Hydro will know by the middle of next week if the planned outage will proceed.



About the Author: Quinn Bender

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