Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
His electricity provider, Alectra Utilities, wants him to pay $27,000 for the repair.
“They want $27,000,” Paul Willis of Brampton said. “And then I have to pay another contractor to run the final 80 feet and that’s about another $5,000.”
Willis started building his garage in November 2021 with the help of a contractor. Willis said that at the start of the project, the contractor dug too deep, severing a hydro cable.
Homeowners are legally required to contact Ontario One – a free, non-profit agency that works with utilities to make sure no damage is done to underground gas pipes, communications networks, power lines or individuals – before beginning a digging project.
The agency’s CEO, Jim Keech, says that “the whole process is to make sure when you dig, be it with a shovel or major equipment, you’re aware of the infrastructure and don’t hit it.”
However, Willis says that he did contact Ontario One, and that his contractor didn’t follow the agency’s instructions.
“I’ve sued the contractor,” Willis said. “The problem is he has ignored the suit, he has ignored my lawyer and he has ignored me.”
Since November 2021, Alectra has repaired the hydro line two times. Both times, the line broke, leaving Willis with a temporary hydro line that he says needs to be replaced.
He is currently receiving power from a hydro pole line that is running over the ground with multiple splices connected to his home.
Willis says that he’s been told to pay the fee, or the hydro company is going to shut off his power.
In a statement to CTV News, a Alectra Utilities spokesperson said that they are aware of the situation and that their records indicate that the existing line was damaged by the third-party contractor.
“In response, our crews promptly addressed the issue with an emergency connection and provided the customer with an estimate of approximately $27,000 to replace the damaged line with an upgraded infrastructure in order to meet existing safety and electrical standards,” it reads.
Willis says that he doesn’t feel that he should have to pay the entire cost, and is hoping to find a compromise between all parties.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Haida elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.