Hydro One investigates additional measures to prevent future animal-related disruptions
A squirrel was the unlikely culprit behind a power outage in downtown Toronto on Wednesday afternoon, leaving up to 5,000 customers without electricity for several hours, according to Hydro One.
The outage began at 1:30 p.m., affecting areas south of Queen Street West, from Spadina Avenue to Yonge Street, and north of the Gardiner Expressway. Power was restored around 4:30 p.m., but repair crews remained on-site at John Transmission Station to assess and reinforce protective measures.
Hydro One confirmed that the disruption was caused by a squirrel making contact with a transformer, which triggered a breaker failure. Unfortunately, the squirrel did not survive.
Though John Transmission Station is already equipped with barriers to prevent animals from entering, Hydro One said it will explore additional safeguards to prevent future incidents.
“We will look at additional measures to put in place to prevent future incidents of this nature,” Hydro One stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Impact on Businesses, Transit, and Theatre Performances
The outage impacted power supply from Hydro One to Toronto Hydro, but TTC services were not affected. However, several businesses and institutions experienced temporary closures:
- OCAD University shut down its 230 Richmond St. W. campus, though it reopened once power was restored.
- CBC Toronto’s Front Street building lost power but resumed normal operations by 3:50 p.m.
- The Princess of Wales Theatre had to cancel the matinee performance of The Lion King after the outage occurred 20 minutes into the show. While the theatre’s backup generator maintained some operations, Mirvish Productions opted to cancel once it became clear that regular power would not return promptly.
- “We are contacting all audience members affected and arranging for them to see a future performance at their convenience,” said Mirvish spokesperson John Karastamatis.
- The theatre’s 7 p.m. performance proceeded as scheduled.
This is not the first time wildlife has caused electrical disruptions. According to Toronto Hydro, in 2023:
- Squirrels caused 80 power outages in the city.
- Birds were responsible for 30 outages.
- Raccoons led to 13 outages.
Hydro One and Toronto Hydro continue to implement measures to prevent such incidents, but wildlife interference remains an ongoing challenge for urban power grids.