Arthur Milnes
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 16/98) - Fried raven. Cooked raven. A raven that's been zapped.

Regardless of the phrase you use, Yellowknife's famous ravens have a dangerous obsession with local power lines. Along with the habit of hanging out above the city on the electrical lines there comes a certain responsibility.

Ravens don't have to be reminded they seem to blamed for more than their fair share of power outages which hit Yellowknife from time to time.

The birds were even the subject of questions in the assembly last week. For the benefit of all residents, and ravens, here is what Yellowknife South MLA and Minister Responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Charles Dent, had to say as reported in last Wednesday's Hansard.

Warning: what is printed below might not be suitable for young ravens...

Mr. Henry: I think it is fair to say that we have experienced recent power outages...in the last while. I would like the minister to tell the house, and, particularly, the residents of my community, what has caused these power outages.

Mr. Dent: "Thank you Mr. Speaker. The raven did it...I am assuming that the member is talking about the two power outages that were experienced in Yellowknife on Saturday. Those are the ones that I am most recently aware of. On Saturday, about 11:00 a.m. there was a power outage that did result from a raven on the Bluefish line..."

Mr. Henry: "What avenues of compensation are available to customers whose equipment is damaged?"

Mr. Dent: "I would expect in a situation where a raven has caused the power outage or where frost build up has caused the power outage, that it would be difficult to say that it was an act of negligence on the part of the (NWT) Power Corporation...The homeowner should check first with their insurance company to see if they are covered."

Mr. Henry: "The minister, in response to my first question, suggested it was a raven that did it. I think all people in Yellowknife have heard that reason given numerous times before ... Could the minister explain how it actually happens that a raven sitting on a wire, or whatever it is, causes a power outage?"

Mr. Dent: "Mr. Speaker, technically what happens is that the raven becomes a conductor for the electricity to go to the ground. That causes a ground fault which causes the breakers to trip. If the bird happens to get part of its body close to the high-voltage line and another party of its body close to a part of the transformer, for instance, that is grounded, the circuit is closed to go to ground and causes the breaker to trip. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."

And thanks to you, Mr. Raven.