This photo was taken today facing south, from the bridge where the North Camp Lake Rd crosses Tasso Lake. Residents believe the damaged hydro cable runs under the lake from the boat launch area on the right side of the photo. (Supplied).
While municipalities are lifting their Significant Weather Event notices, there are still an estimated 37 properties on the north end of Tasso Lake in the Township of Lake of Bays without power and Hydro One is not anticipating restoration to the area until January 16.
About half a dozen of those residences are currently occupied by year-round residents, about the same number of property owners who spend the winters there have left, and many of the remaining property owners may not be aware that the area hasn’t had power since December 24, explained Shane Baker who lives there with his wife Lynda.
He said Hydro One is aware that there are year-round residents living in the area because they get a preferential rate. He said with the power being out since December 24, some cottage owners will have a rude awakening when they return. Not all cottages are completely winterized, some leave baseboard heaters or furnaces turned down low to ensure their pipes don’t freeze. They may find a mess when they return.
Others. who live there all year have been running their generators since December 24 and the cost is adding up. Those that don’t have generators and rely on wood haven’t been able to shower in a week and are dismayed with Hydro One’s estimated restoration time of January 16 at 5 p.m.
Baker said residents are particularly frustrated because they’ve had very little communication. “There’s a lot of stress,” said Baker, adding that residents have also lost cell phone signal intermittently. He said some are on CPAP machines and if their generator stops working it will impact their health.
While it hasn’t been officially confirmed, some residents were told by hydro crews that the issue may be a break in an underwater line. “Hydro has not called any of us, we just got this text saying January 16,” said Baker. He said residents have reached out to MPP Graydon Smith and the municipality’s emergency services asking them to lobby on their behalf.
Doppler reached out to Hydro One’s media relations line. Hydro One spokesperson Kennisha Petgrave could not confirm that the issue involved an underwater cable but did say hydro crews could neither use a helicopter due to the fog nor access remote lake areas by boat because lakes aren’t completely frozen. She said they were hoping for better weather to access problem areas. “So we’re really just hoping the weather gods are nice to us and that we’re able to get out and restore power to those customers,” she added.
“They’re saying they’re waiting for ice to freeze instead of finding some kind of boat that can push through this slush and just do it now instead of waiting because with this climate change who knows if it’s going to be ever solid enough to satisfy them,” said Baker. “It’s going to be a hell of a job but to do it when the ice is a foot thick seems ludicrous when they can probably find some kind of watercraft to do it now,” he said.
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