—Updated 3:59 p.m.—
The power has been restored to all neighbourhoods in Squamish.
BC Hydro crews were anticipated to arrive in Squamish by 4:30 p.m. however the power was switched on ahead of schedule.
A BC Hydro social media post says 11,335 homes and businesses were affected in Squamish as a result of the transmission circuit failure.
What is a transmission circuit failure?
According to the BC Hydro website, a transmission circuit failure occurs when a major transmission line is unable to deliver electricity.
"This could be caused by a variety of factors from a damaged transmission tower to a lightning strike," the website states.
To restore the power following this kind of power outage requires specialized equipment to identify the problem.
"Repairs for this type of outage can be prolonged as it may be difficult to access the area to identify the problem and we may need to bring in specialized equipment. We'll often look to provide electricity to impacted customers via an alternate path through 'switching' while crews work on repairs," the website states.
—Original story 3:06 p.m.—
Almost all of Squamish has lost power due to a transmission circuit failure.
According to BC Hydro, the outage began at 2:39 p.m. and has been off ever since.
All neighbourhoods except for Brackendale are affected.
That is approximately 10,829 local homes and businesses, according to BC Hydro.
The outage also extends to Britannia Beach and Lions Bay.
Crews have been assigned to fix the issue but no estimated time has been given for when the power will be back on.
To see which areas are affected, visit the BC Hydro power outage map.
More to come.
