The lights are going to be a little brighter in Moyie soon -- Yahk too – as a result of a $3 million capital upgrade project being carried out by BC Hydro, beginning Sept. 9 and running until Oct. 29.

The transmission line currently providing power to Moyie is more than 80 years old and is nearing the end of its operational life. As a result the 69 KV copper line is being replaced by a state-of-the-art Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) wire.

The new line was planned and underway prior to the lightning strike that hit the Moyie sub-station in early August and cut the power supply for more than half-a-day. “While this work can’t prevent a future lightning strike, it will increase the resiliency, reliability and capacity to Moyie and Yahk are customers,” says BC Hydro community Relations Manager Diane Tammen.

Despite the great improvements a project of this size will bring, there are some downsides to the upgrade consisting mainly of several power outages to accommodate the line-changing work that needs to be carried out. The first and longest outage took place on Aug. 26 with two outages of three hours each.

The next outage will be Sept. 9 and will last for two to three hours. Further outages will take place Sept. 26, Oct. 17 and sometime in late October. All the outages will be advertised in advance in the media including the Daily Townsman.

People should be prepared for the outages with flashlights, extra batteries, first aid kit, non-perishable ready-to-eat foods, corded phone, battery radio and other emergency necessities, said Tammen.

Prior to the actual work being carried out, BC Hydro is going to install a three-phase generator to ensure a steady as possible power supply while the work is being completed. Disconnection of the main circuit will result in periodic service disruptions to Moyie and Yahk customers, but the portable generator will help to minimize these disruptions.

Areas affected will include the Moyie townsite, north and south Moyie Lake, the south end of Hidden Valley Road, Holiday RV on Highway 3, Green Bay, Munroe Lake, Mineral Lake, Yahk and homes in the Curzon Junction area.

In all, some 1,210 customers will be affected from Moyie to Yahk. There may also be some small “pocket outages” in specific areas when work is going on in the neighborhood.

“These will affect small groups of customers at a time, and whenever possible, BC Hydro will provide advance notice to customers,” says Tammen. “These outages are required for worker safety while installing the new conductor.” (line)

The old copper line to be replaced begins near the Viking Lodge in Cranbrook and ends at the Moyie sub-station at the south end of town. The power lines within Moyie itself are not being replaced nor the distribution line to Yahk.

The $3 million project will bring a short-lived economic boost to the area with four to seven crews working during the eight-week life of the project and some of the workers coming in from outside and purchasing meals and accommodation while employed here..

“They will require accommodation and have day-to-day living out needs for the duration of the project, relying on local retailers and businesses to provide these services,” said Tammen.

In addition, Ian Kozicky, the Project Manager, has established a workforce team both local and from within the South Interior who will work together to further minimize the impact on customers during this project. The team includes a project manager, power line technicians, technical and administrative support, community relations, and the restoration centre staff. All of the employees will be working together closely to coordinate and complete this project Tammen said.

As part of the Clean Energy Act announced by the provincial government in April, BC Hydro is embarking on a major re-investment and expansion of its infrastructure province wide to ensure benefits are in place for future generations of British Columbians. BC Hydro is investing almost $2 billion in system improvements and upgrades to our generation, transmission and distribution assets this year, which includes the Moyie upgrade project, Tammen said.