Planned Power Outage - TENTATIVE SCHEDULE: Sunday, May 24 - 8 am to 8 pm Sunday, June 7 - 8 am to 8 pm

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Consultation has concluded

-NEW-


An upcoming planned power maintenance project by BC Hydro at Jervis Inlet and Agamemnon Channel will result in the temporary closure or limited operation of several public facilities in Powell River. Many services will continue to operate as usual. 

The 12-hour planned power outage in Powell River, Cortes Island, and Texada Island will be on: 

Sunday, May 24 - 8 am to 8 pm

Sunday, June 7 - 8 am to 8 pm


PROJECT UPDATE

Two transmission lines supply electricity to approximately 10,000 customers in Powell River and the surrounding communities: a 138-kilovolt (kV) line and a 230‑kV line. The 138‑kV line is being removed and replaced due to age-related deterioration and associated safety risks. The Jervis Inlet crossing was removed in October 2025 and will be restrung in spring 2027. The Agamemnon Channel crossing is scheduled for removal this spring and will be restrung this fall.  

When the crossings are reinstalled, they will be built to 230‑kV standards to increase system capacity and support future growth in the region.

Ahead of restringing, extensive system upgrades are required, including construction of a permanent bypass line near Saltery Bay. These upgrades will improve overall reliability and operational flexibility.

 

Planned outages

Two planned 12‑hour outages are required to safely connect the bypass line and complete the system upgrades. Portions of the work cannot be completed while the 230-kV line is energized, and no temporary rerouting options are available. These outages will affect our customers in Powell River and the surrounding areas, including Lund, Cortes Island, Texada Island, and Saltery Bay.

These dates were selected to minimize impacts on schools and businesses, avoid conflicts with community events and holidays, and take advantage of lower electrical demand on Sundays.

  • Sunday, May 24 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 
  • Sunday, June 7 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.



To help our community prepare for the planned power outage, the City has outlined below how City-operated facilities / services are expected to be impacted during the outage: 


✅ Operating as usual


⚠️ Operational with limits


⛔ Closed for the day

  • Powell River Fire Rescue - Fire Hall #1
  • Traffic lights - normal or 4-way flash mode
  • Recreation complex
  • RCMP Station
  • Waste Water Treatment Plant, not fully operational (Note: Odours expected during start up)
  • Powell River Public Library
  • Water services - UV water treatment plant
  • Sanitary pump stations
  • All Electric Vehicle charging stations
  • Sewer Services – sanitary line issues
  • Willingdon beach campsite with manual entry gate
  • City Hall (regular Sunday schedule)
  •  Fuel pump at yard for fleet
  • (YPW) Airport - daylight use only until power is restored
  • Mowat Bay public washroom
  • Transit route/schedule
  • Harbour Office - staff will be on site for emergencies and gate access. Showers, laundry, boat pump out, dockside electrical and electronic payment unavailable.
  • Shinglemill public washroom

  • Reduced water pressure in Wildwood until power is restored (Seton, Hillcrest and parts of Chilco, Columbia and Lois).

 

ℹ️  BC FERRIES

BC Ferries will post revised schedules on their website and update communities through a service notice once BC Hydro is able to confirm their project schedule. BC Hydro encourage anyone planning to travel on the Saltery Bay - Earls Cove route on  to prepare for possible delays. UPDATE: BC Ferries does not anticipate any schedule changes due to the power outage. Sailings between Saltery Bay and Earls Cove, as well as Westview and Comox are expected to operate as usual. 

As always it is recommended to check BC Ferries Service Notices before travelling.


ℹ️ BC Hydro Tips to prepare for the outage 

Knowing a planned power outage is coming gives you a real head start. Please refer to Prepare Your Home for an Outage and Power Outage Checklist in the Documents section on the right panel of this page The checklist provided can help you prepare your home for an outage and ensure that you know what to do before, during and after an outage. It's all about being a little prepared so the inconvenience is as minimal as possible. 


  Schedule

The following schedule has been provided by BC Hydro for the Power Line Replacement Project (NOTE: this is subject to change)

TIMINGACTIVITIES
February to September 2025Site preparation.
September 14, 2025A planned power outage during which BC Hydro will reconfigure the 230 kV line to allow for safe replacement of the 138kV lines.
*Mid-September to October 2025Removal of the 138kV power lines at Jervis Inlet.
*October 2025 or spring 2026 (to be confirmed)Removal of the 138kV power lines at Agamemnon channel.
Spring 2026Install new lines to 230 kV standards and aviation market balls at Agamemnon Channel
Fall 2026Install new lines to 230 kV standards and aviation marker balls at Jervis Inlet. 



Alternate access: The wider Jervis Inlet area can accessed by boating through Agamemnon Channel. 

Marine traffic closures will be required during the marine crossing power line work for the safety of the public and BC Hydro crews. There will be a marine route available around Nelson Island to access the wider Jervis Inlet at all times. BC Hydro will notify local marinas and commercial marine operators directly. 

The first marine traffic closure is expected to take place in October 2025. Due to a recent change in BC Hydro's planned power line removal methodology, the schedule for both the line removal and marine traffic closure is not yet confirmed. An update is expected to be provided in mid to late September 2025. 

To ensure that communities remain connected and essential service is maintained, BC Ferries will maintain service by sailing in another direction around Nelson Island. 

BC Ferries will post revised schedules on their website and update communities through a service notice once BC Hydro is able to confirm their project schedule (anticipated mid-September). BC Hydro encourages anyone planning to travel on the Saltery Bay–Earls Cove route on Sunday, May 24 and Sunday, June 7  to prepare for possible delays. 

For more details please view the Information Sheet and other materials in the documents section of this page.

CONTACT BC HYDRO

If you'd like to learn more about the project, please contact BC Hydro at:

-NEW-


An upcoming planned power maintenance project by BC Hydro at Jervis Inlet and Agamemnon Channel will result in the temporary closure or limited operation of several public facilities in Powell River. Many services will continue to operate as usual. 

The 12-hour planned power outage in Powell River, Cortes Island, and Texada Island will be on: 

Sunday, May 24 - 8 am to 8 pm

Sunday, June 7 - 8 am to 8 pm


PROJECT UPDATE

Two transmission lines supply electricity to approximately 10,000 customers in Powell River and the surrounding communities: a 138-kilovolt (kV) line and a 230‑kV line. The 138‑kV line is being removed and replaced due to age-related deterioration and associated safety risks. The Jervis Inlet crossing was removed in October 2025 and will be restrung in spring 2027. The Agamemnon Channel crossing is scheduled for removal this spring and will be restrung this fall.  

When the crossings are reinstalled, they will be built to 230‑kV standards to increase system capacity and support future growth in the region.

Ahead of restringing, extensive system upgrades are required, including construction of a permanent bypass line near Saltery Bay. These upgrades will improve overall reliability and operational flexibility.

 

Planned outages

Two planned 12‑hour outages are required to safely connect the bypass line and complete the system upgrades. Portions of the work cannot be completed while the 230-kV line is energized, and no temporary rerouting options are available. These outages will affect our customers in Powell River and the surrounding areas, including Lund, Cortes Island, Texada Island, and Saltery Bay.

These dates were selected to minimize impacts on schools and businesses, avoid conflicts with community events and holidays, and take advantage of lower electrical demand on Sundays.

  • Sunday, May 24 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 
  • Sunday, June 7 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.



To help our community prepare for the planned power outage, the City has outlined below how City-operated facilities / services are expected to be impacted during the outage: 


✅ Operating as usual


⚠️ Operational with limits


⛔ Closed for the day

  • Powell River Fire Rescue - Fire Hall #1
  • Traffic lights - normal or 4-way flash mode
  • Recreation complex
  • RCMP Station
  • Waste Water Treatment Plant, not fully operational (Note: Odours expected during start up)
  • Powell River Public Library
  • Water services - UV water treatment plant
  • Sanitary pump stations
  • All Electric Vehicle charging stations
  • Sewer Services – sanitary line issues
  • Willingdon beach campsite with manual entry gate
  • City Hall (regular Sunday schedule)
  •  Fuel pump at yard for fleet
  • (YPW) Airport - daylight use only until power is restored
  • Mowat Bay public washroom
  • Transit route/schedule
  • Harbour Office - staff will be on site for emergencies and gate access. Showers, laundry, boat pump out, dockside electrical and electronic payment unavailable.
  • Shinglemill public washroom

  • Reduced water pressure in Wildwood until power is restored (Seton, Hillcrest and parts of Chilco, Columbia and Lois).

 

ℹ️  BC FERRIES

BC Ferries will post revised schedules on their website and update communities through a service notice once BC Hydro is able to confirm their project schedule. BC Hydro encourage anyone planning to travel on the Saltery Bay - Earls Cove route on  to prepare for possible delays. UPDATE: BC Ferries does not anticipate any schedule changes due to the power outage. Sailings between Saltery Bay and Earls Cove, as well as Westview and Comox are expected to operate as usual. 

As always it is recommended to check BC Ferries Service Notices before travelling.


ℹ️ BC Hydro Tips to prepare for the outage 

Knowing a planned power outage is coming gives you a real head start. Please refer to Prepare Your Home for an Outage and Power Outage Checklist in the Documents section on the right panel of this page The checklist provided can help you prepare your home for an outage and ensure that you know what to do before, during and after an outage. It's all about being a little prepared so the inconvenience is as minimal as possible. 


  Schedule

The following schedule has been provided by BC Hydro for the Power Line Replacement Project (NOTE: this is subject to change)

TIMINGACTIVITIES
February to September 2025Site preparation.
September 14, 2025A planned power outage during which BC Hydro will reconfigure the 230 kV line to allow for safe replacement of the 138kV lines.
*Mid-September to October 2025Removal of the 138kV power lines at Jervis Inlet.
*October 2025 or spring 2026 (to be confirmed)Removal of the 138kV power lines at Agamemnon channel.
Spring 2026Install new lines to 230 kV standards and aviation market balls at Agamemnon Channel
Fall 2026Install new lines to 230 kV standards and aviation marker balls at Jervis Inlet. 



Alternate access: The wider Jervis Inlet area can accessed by boating through Agamemnon Channel. 

Marine traffic closures will be required during the marine crossing power line work for the safety of the public and BC Hydro crews. There will be a marine route available around Nelson Island to access the wider Jervis Inlet at all times. BC Hydro will notify local marinas and commercial marine operators directly. 

The first marine traffic closure is expected to take place in October 2025. Due to a recent change in BC Hydro's planned power line removal methodology, the schedule for both the line removal and marine traffic closure is not yet confirmed. An update is expected to be provided in mid to late September 2025. 

To ensure that communities remain connected and essential service is maintained, BC Ferries will maintain service by sailing in another direction around Nelson Island. 

BC Ferries will post revised schedules on their website and update communities through a service notice once BC Hydro is able to confirm their project schedule (anticipated mid-September). BC Hydro encourages anyone planning to travel on the Saltery Bay–Earls Cove route on Sunday, May 24 and Sunday, June 7  to prepare for possible delays. 

For more details please view the Information Sheet and other materials in the documents section of this page.

CONTACT BC HYDRO

If you'd like to learn more about the project, please contact BC Hydro at: