Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Calgary office towers will likely have no electricity until Thursday

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Oct, 2014 10:15 AM

    CALGARY - Blocks of office towers remain quiet and dark in downtown Calgary due to a power outage that began on the weekend and may not be repaired until at least Thursday.

    Mayor Naheed Nenshi has told businesses in the affected zone they should tell employees not to come in to work and to make alternate arrangements.

    Thousands of people have no power in their homes since the outage has also affected many downtown apartment buildings.

    Provincial courthouses in Calgary will be closed today and Premier Jim Prentice says his own office in the city is dark.

    The blackout began late Saturday after a fire in an underground vault which utility company Enmax says requires equipment to be replaced rather than simply repaired.

    The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

    "Unfortunately many in downtown Calgary have had their Thanksgiving disrupted by circumstances that are beyond their control," Prentice told a news conference on Monday afternoon.

    "As we all know thousands are without power and have been evicted from their homes because of the underground electrical fires and they've voluntarily evacuated from their residences."

    The Calgary Chamber of Commerce is encouraging employers to avoid having employees come into work, suggesting teleworking or using offsite locations as alternatives.

    It says buildings in the affected area will not have light, power, phones or Internet, which may create safety risks.

    Calgary's light rail C-Train, which passes through the affected zone, suspended service through the area on Saturday night when police roadblocks prevented access. But service resumed Sunday when the roadblocks were removed and the system continues to operate normally.

    The city warns that water pressure may be weak or non-existent in buildings above the fifth floor.

    It says it will allow the deployment of industrial generators at street level, but it says building owners must still get permits.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Hang On To Your Wallet And Put On An Extra Sweater For 'T-rex' Of Winters

    Hang On To Your Wallet And Put On An Extra Sweater For 'T-rex' Of Winters
    Energy industry players say they've learned from last year's so-called polar vortex and are bracing for what the Farmer's Almanac says will be another bitterly cold season — one that's already being dubbed the "T-Rex" of winters.

    Hang On To Your Wallet And Put On An Extra Sweater For 'T-rex' Of Winters

    PM Harper and Prentice meet in Calgary to discuss wide range of issues

    PM Harper and Prentice meet in Calgary to discuss wide range of issues
    CALGARY - Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Alberta's new premier are both describing their first meeting since Jim Prentice was sworn in last month as productive.

    PM Harper and Prentice meet in Calgary to discuss wide range of issues

    Indo-Canadian is Canada's new envoy to India

    Indo-Canadian is Canada's new envoy to India
    Canada's new High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel is an Indo-Canadian, one who was born in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state of Gujarat....

    Indo-Canadian is Canada's new envoy to India

    Nobel Winner Malala Yousafzai Gets Honorary Canadian citizenship, To Visit on Oct 22

    Nobel Winner Malala Yousafzai Gets Honorary Canadian citizenship, To Visit on Oct 22
    Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged to make Malala Yousafzai, 17, an honorary citizen during last year's speech from the throne, but it wasn't until Friday that the government made another public reference to her citizenship. Yousafzai becomes the sixth person to receive honorary Canadian citizenship.

    Nobel Winner Malala Yousafzai Gets Honorary Canadian citizenship, To Visit on Oct 22

    Slocan Manhunt: Police Exchanged Gunfire With B.C. Suspect Who Escaped Into Forest

    Slocan Manhunt: Police Exchanged Gunfire With B.C. Suspect Who Escaped Into Forest
    SLOCAN CITY, B.C. - The confrontation that led to the lockdown of an entire community in British Columbia's southeast included an exchange of gunfire between police and a male suspect, says a senior Mountie.

    Slocan Manhunt: Police Exchanged Gunfire With B.C. Suspect Who Escaped Into Forest

    Finance Canada Gives Accidental Sneak Peek At Coming Tax Measures

    Finance Canada Gives Accidental Sneak Peek At Coming Tax Measures
    OTTAWA - Finance Canada admits it accidentally disclosed details of imminent tax measures, sparking concerns that some individuals could have profited from advance knowledge of the changes.

    Finance Canada Gives Accidental Sneak Peek At Coming Tax Measures