West Kelowna's only source of power is a single substation near Shannon Lake. BC Hydro has announced they would conduct a feasibility study on implementing a secondary line from either Merritt, Kelowna or Vernon. Credit: ipernity.com

B.C. Hydro holding open house for back-up power line into West Kelowna

WEST KELOWNA – B.C. Hydro wants to hear what locals think of its plan for a back-up electrical transmission line into the Westside.

The utility announced last year plans for a second line after a fire atop a pole supporting what still is the only power transmission line into West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and Peachland.

The fire knocked out power to 22,000 customers for nine hours and revealed the vulnerability of the single 138-kilovolt line running from Merritt to a substation near Shannon Lake.

Premier Christy Clark, who is also the MLA for Westside-Kelowna, stepped in and announced government funding for a back-up line with the same capacity but taking a different route to West Kelowna.

B.C. Hydro will hold an open house Tuesday, June 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Westbank Lions Community Centre, 2466 Main Street, West Kelowna.

To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

Tags
John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca

Related Articles