Shot of the damaged powerline that caused power outages in several communities across northwest Saskatchewan (submited photo/SaskPower)

By Elliott Knopp

Power Outages

Outages being addressed with preventative maintenance measures: SaskPower

Jun 25, 2021 | 2:42 PM

After several brief power outages over the last couple of weeks left residents in Meadow Lake and surrounding communities without electrical services, SaskPower representatives say actions are being taken to prevent any further inconveniences.

Earlier this week, several communities in the northwest region of Saskatchewan were left in the dark for hours with no estimate of when services would be restored. Following emergency service dispatches to learn what caused the blackouts, one spokesperson said crews determined a damaged power line was responsible for the losses of service.

“They were all the results of a broken cross-arm. The actual conductor wire, which normally would be held on the cross arm with an insulator, was hanging and causing the line to trip off. We have completed the repairs to that structure,” SaskPower spokesperson Joel Cherry said.

Close up of the damaged power line that caused outages in several northwest Saskatchewan communities (submitted photo/SaskPower)

Cherry added now that repairs to the line are complete, there won’t be any more outages resulting from this issue.

Made in Saskatchewan

Find My Plus One: The Canadian App for Getting Out and Living Your Best Life

Mar 09, 2026

Riderville

Ask Not for Whom the Ed Hervey Tampering Window Opens!

Feb 02, 2026

Seniors Scene

New Year - New Habits

Feb 02, 2026

SaskPower has a regular maintenance cycle for all of the appropriate infrastructure and is expected to conduct ground patrols of several key transmission lines in the Meadow Lake area. Crews will visually inspect structures to find any signs of deterioration that need to be included in maintenance.

Substations in the area are set to receive improvements as well. One measure being taken is increasing remote monitoring capability across the entire system. Cherry explained this gives workers the ability to sort control and monitor substations remotely, rather than requiring in-person service especially in larger geographical areas where travel time can become time-consuming.

He stated nearly one-third of all outages are a result of aging infrastructure failing, while another third occurs from extreme weather conditions, including thunderstorms, wind, and ice on the power lines.

Cherry shared SaskPower is working to address the issue of aging infrastructure this year with a significant investment into its resolution.

“We’re going to spend a record amount on sustainment activities,” Cherry said. “We’re going to spend $272-million over the course of the year on maintaining and improving the infrastructure we have up there. We’re doing what we can to try to make sure we have a grid that’s reliable for all of our customers.”

While power outages are easier for residents to manage at home in the summer, these incidents can prove to be more stressful and complicated in cold temperatures. Cherry mentioned having an emergency outage kit prepared in case an outage occurs during times with poor weather conditions.

“[Pack] non-perishable food, [make sure there’s] water at home and flashlights with extra batteries so you can get around in the darkness if you have to. Think of a battery-powered or hand-crank clock or radio. In an outage in the summer, sure, you can go outside. But in the winter, it’s a little bit more serious. So, it’s also important to make sure you have things like blankets and warm clothing.”

He added generators are very useful in these situations, but advises caution and only using the generator outdoors as it can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning indoors.

SaskPower is said to be deploying smart meters that will instantly communicate when an outage occurs. Currently, the mass deployment of those meters hasn’t happened yet, so SaskPower is still reliant on reports from residents across the province.

To report a power outage, residents can contact SaskPower at (306) 310-2220, or use the online reporting tool.

Resources for unplanned outages can be found at https://www.saskpower.com/Outages/Emergency-Preparedness/Preparing-Your-Home-for-Unplanned-Outages.

—

elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp