Newmarket resident Natalie Howarth awoke Sunday morning to something that sounded like a bulldozer.
She said her house shook, with some rumbling and three loud bangs. Then, her power went out, along with a swath of the town.
Although Newmarket-Tay Power Distribution restored her power in a few hours, many residents were without power for hours, and Howarth said she wants answers.
“We want to know what’s going on,” she said. “The public needs to be educated afterwards, instead of just ‘power came back, done.’"
Newmarket-Tay Power is still investigating what caused the major power outage Aug. 28 that left more than 5,000 temporarily without power. Several residents reported hearing a loud bang beforehand.
Communications coordinator Blaine Osmond said the utility has engaged a third party for the investigation, with a report expected next week. However, he added that they believe the loud sounds were due to protection devices starting to operate.
“An animal contact caused damage to one of our high voltage switches, which triggered our protection devices to operate,” Osmond said, adding that the animal was a squirrel.
Still, the spokesperson said further analysis is required before a complete account of how the outage happened.
The possibility of a squirrel contributing made Howarth question if it was preventable.
“Maybe it’s live and learn,” she said, but added, “Why is there an opening for a squirrel to do that?”
Nathalie Beaubien had some longer-lasting damage from the outage. She said it blew her thermostat, requiring a replacement.
“It’s frustrating, of course. It’s your day off, and you want power, and you don’t want to deal with any extra issues,” she said.
Still, she complimented the electricity provider for being quick to respond to her home and offer the option for a claim.
“They did what they could with what they were given,” she said. “I’d be interested in hearing about what the cause was, or how we can avoid things like this in the future. But I’m also a realist, and I understand things happen.”
Howarth said she hopes the upcoming report brings some transparency.
“We need to start understanding our power grid more and understanding what risks there are,” she said. “There are emergencies, and you do need to know."
