Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Friday, January 29, 2007

ARCTIC RED RIVER - Residents of Tsiigehtchic are wondering why it took six hours for power to be restored on New Year's Eve, after a reveler erroneously shot a power line.

One anonymous resident sent a letter to News/North claiming no one was available at the Power Corp's Inuvik emergency line, which is supposed to transfer calls to Yellowknife after 7 p.m.

This was corroborated by Richart Stuart, foreman of the Tsiigehtchic Housing Association. He said the Tsiigehtchic plant superintendent, Phillip Andre, was on leave, and no one was there to replace him.

"They should have had somebody available. We couldn't reach anyone or the emergency number," he said of the night in question.

Stuart added that Tsiigehtchic residents eventually called the Fort McPherson RCMP, who reached a repairman. Const. Calvin Roberts said they knew the man and found him outdoors, enjoying the town's fireworks.

The man travelled to Tsiigehtchic to repair the line and power was restored around 6 a.m. NWT Power Corp director Herbert Blake said he cannot explain why people are claiming no one was available at the emergency number.

"It might be possible people dialled the wrong number," he said. The Yellowknife line should have someone answering 24 hours a day, he said.

He said the Power Corporation's response was pretty good considering it was midnight on New Year's with the plant superintendent on leave and someone unexpectedly shooting a power line. No charges have been laid in the line shooting, which happened in the first five minutes of the new year.