Hamilton’s downtown core experienced another power outage Tuesday afternoon, marking the third such outage affecting the area in as many as eight days.
Alectra Utilities reported the outage just before 3 p.m., saying approximately 1,913 homes and businesses were affected and that crews had been dispatched.
Last Monday, a power outage in the city’s downtown core lasted nearly eight hours while another ran on for more than 22 hours on Saturday amid an extreme cold warning.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Alectra said the recent outages occurred on the same “underground feeder” serving Hamilton’s downtown core.
“The outage from this weekend was caused by a complex electrical fault affecting infrastructure in downtown Hamilton,” Alectra spokesperson Ashley Trgachef said in the emailed statement.
“As crews worked to restore service, additional cable damage was identified, requiring more extensive repairs.”
Trgachef said Saturday’s restoration took longer than initially expected due to a combination of factors.
“The fault was difficult to locate, and during restoration efforts crews encountered additional damage,” she explained. “Extreme cold, snow and ice buildup made accessing and repairing equipment more challenging, particularly within aging electrical infrastructure in the downtown core. These conditions extended the time required to complete repairs safely.”
As for today’s power loss, Alectra said the cause was identified as “a water main break causing flooding and damage to a customer’s electrical equipment, which impacted the underground electrical system serving the area.”
As of 6 p.m., just 44 homes and businesses remained without power.
Trgachef acknowledged that the repeated power interruptions in downtown Hamilton have caused frustration for residents, and reiterated that crews are always working safely and as quicky as possible.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to the City of Hamilton for a comment.