Power has been restored to sections of Ulukhaktok, N.W.T. following power line damage caused by strong winds on Saturday. Belinda Whitford, the Northwest Territories Power Corporation’s chief operating officer, stated that outages began early Saturday morning and were initially fixed by the local plant operator. However, later in the day, power lines were again affected when debris from a building roof led to a community-wide outage.
Throughout Saturday, Ulukhaktok faced blizzard and wind warnings, experiencing gusts exceeding 90 km/h. These warnings have now been lifted by Environment Canada. Whitford mentioned that the local plant operator successfully reestablished power to some parts of the community, such as the airport, early Sunday, although complete resolution may take time due to identified damages requiring attention.
While no significant damage to poles or transformers has been reported, Whitford emphasized that assessing the extent of the harm will be crucial. An update from NTPC on Sunday afternoon confirmed that a line crew and electrician are set to arrive in Ulukhaktok by 4:40 p.m.
The Ulukhaktok Inuit Co-op has ceased operations for the day due to damaged power lines and roof sections, as mentioned in a social media post. However, the health center and school, both equipped with power generators, are serving as warming shelters for the community.