A furry culprit caused a massive power outage in New Westminster over the weekend, according to BC Hydro. The mischievous squirrel made its way into the city’s primary substation, leaving several neighborhoods without electricity.
Mora Scott, a spokesperson for BC Hydro, revealed that their team discovered the squirrel inside the substation when they arrived to assess the situation. Scott explained that encounters with animals, such as birds and squirrels, disrupting electrical equipment are not uncommon occurrences.
Fortunately, BC Hydro’s quick response led to the restoration of power within an hour. The outage impacted downtown, uptown, Sapperton, Glenbrook North, and Queen’s Park neighborhoods. Additionally, the outage forced the evacuation of Queen’s Park Sportsplex.
The exact number of affected homes remains unclear, but residents can rest assured that power has been fully restored.