JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West
The heavy snowstorm last week that caused widespread power outages was just the latest example that emphasizes the need for Hydro-Québec to put a plan together to gradually bury power lines, said Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle.
Last Thursday’s outage left more than 200,000 Hydro customers without power, including about 12,000 dwellings in the West Island in the cold, according to the utility. By that evening, 1,600 West Island households were still in the dark. By the next morning, more than 1,000 homes in the area were still without power, several hundred of which were located in Beaconsfield.
Beaconsfield residents are no strangers to power outages, Bourelle explained. He has experienced six outages in his home in the past year alone.
“I’ve received a number of emails from frustrated residents saying, ‘What are you going to do about it?’” Bourelle told The 1510 West. “And there’s not very much we can do as a municipality other than put pressure on Hydro-Québec.”
Hydro blamed the power outages on “strong gusts of wind or the weight of broken tree branches” damaging numerous above-ground power lines.
This is a reoccurring issue that will not disappear without action, Bourelle said, adding that the only viable solution is for Hydro to launch a province-wide plan to bury the power lines.
The crown corporation currently aims to offset damage to existing above-ground power lines by keeping them clear of vegetation, including by pruning branches and clearing weakened trees. According to Hydro-Québec’s website, this vegetation control must be carried out along 17,000 kilometres of power lines annually.
“In Beaconsfield, we have probably the biggest tree canopy on the island, and if not, maybe in Quebec,” Bourelle said, adding: “There’s no doubt that, with climate change, there are violent storms, snow that comes down very heavily. There are chances that trees or branches will fall.”
The mayor argued that these power lines should not be prioritized over tree canopies. These canopies, he explained, serve to reduce urban heat and air pollution, generate oxygen and increase property value.
Premier François Legault had previously said that such a project would be unrealistic, estimating the total cost would be about $100 billion. Bourelle, however, suggested that this number is exaggerated, adding that the cost must be weigh against the financial and economic impacts of regular power outages.
In terms of implementation, Hydro-Québec should prioritize working with municipalities to identify areas where above-ground power lines are the most vulnerable to outages, Bourelle said. “And then have a plan to gradually bury the lines at every opportunity.”
Last week’s widespread power outage comes almost exactly one year after a powerful ice storm caused a massive outage, knocking out power for an estimated 1.3 million Quebecers.