Dear Editor:
Re: Recent power surge in Trout Creek
I am writing with my concerns and questions regarding the recent power surge in Trout Creek and the problems the power surge has left us with. You know by now that many residents have been seriously affected, many of whom are on a fixed income.
More than one family lost a heat pump and furnace, to the tune of approximately $20,000 each. And many more families have lost appliances and electronics. When insurance agents have been contacted residents were informed that it was not an insurable event; it was the responsibility of the power provider.
Which makes some sense.
So who is responsible?
Who was responsible for installing power lines so close together they could arc during a storm, or would stretch and arc with accumulating ice and snow?
Who was responsible for ensuring the safety of all homes in Summerland?
Who is responsible for ensuring this never happens again. Surely this should be an expected event.
I don’t know the answer to this question, but I ask the municipality to investigate and make the answer known. I do know it was not the consumer.
My second question is, what is being done to prevent this type of event from repeating itself?
Thirdly, where can people affected receive redress? What are people, who are hit with needing to replace furnaces and heat pumps just three weeks before Christmas, to do?
We love living in our small town and are willing to put up with boil water advisories, short power interruptions, ... but this was too much.
Marcia Dean
Summerland