Pugwash Power Outage was Man Made

Pugwash suffered a major power outage today, the second in three days. The first came Sunday night in a storm, but today’s interruption, also amid a storm, was not weather related.

The first indication was a loud cracking sound from a power pole on the corner of Langille’s Service Centre on Durham Street in the village. The pole, complete with a transformer, was being pulled over toward Durham Street. It seems two other poles, near the bridge, were breaking and leaning toward the harbour.

The collapse sent a power line into the harbour, resulting in a power outage affecting the village and extending across the harbour into West Pugwash.

Some customers were without service till late afternoon, and others even longer.

There has been no official word on the cause, but some suggest a truck with a plough blade may have started the domino effect. The two poles near the harbour are on either side of the salt companies private road to the company wharf. It is unlikely that a track could have made contact.

Nova Scotia power crews worked well into the evening to re-establish full service and reinforce or install new poles and equipment.