Outage leaves part of city in the dark for about 3 hours Thursday
Part of Iqaluit sits in darkness after an equipment failure caused a power outage Thursday afternoon. (Photo by Daron Letts)
Daron Letts
An equipment failure inside an electrical enclosure is being blamed for a three-hour power outage that left Iqaluit residents in the dark for much of Thursday afternoon.
A built-in protection device automatically shut the line down to protect generators and prevent a larger outage shortly before 2 p.m., said Tina Mandeya, director of community affairs for Qulliq Energy Corp.
“While we understand how frustrating outages can be, these safety systems are designed to protect our employees, the public, and critical infrastructure,” she said in an email Friday.
“Our crews responded as quickly and safely as possible to restore power.”
Ten crew members worked to repair the outage, Mandeya said, including line crew, plant operators, technicians and support staff.
Apex, Tundra Ridge, Tundra Valley, Happy Valley, Road to Nowhere and Lower Iqaluit including building numbers in the 100s to 300s, were all affected by the outage.
Lights began flickering just after 4 p.m. and power was fully restored at 5 p.m., shortly after sunset.
