BC Hydro replacing thousands of aging power poles

- BC Hydro is advising residents in some of its service areas that crews will be replacing power poles in their regions over the next several months.

The work is part of BC HydroÂ’s ongoing maintenance program that will see the replacement of more than 10,000 utility poles this year throughout the province.

BC Hydro maintains 900,000 wooden poles as part of its electricity distribution system that delivers power to homes and businesses throughout the province.

More than 20 percent of BC HydroÂ’s wooden poles have been in service for more than 40 years. In total, BC HydroÂ’s system includes 56,000 kilometres of distribution lines.

Over time, wooden poles weaken due to adverse weather, insects, and wildlife. BC Hydro regularly inspects the old poles and puts in new poles for safety and to strengthen the reliability of the electricity system.

Pole replacement may require BC Hydro or its contractors to disconnect power. Crews take special care to avoid any unnecessary impacts to customers. However, if outages need to be scheduled for safety reasons, BC Hydro or its contractors will let customers know in person, or by mail or phone.