The outage, which began mid-morning, affected 3,580 homes and stretched from Kingsbury Avenue to the Perimeter Freeway. Power was restored around 11:15 a.m., according to the utility company.

On Twitter, Manitoba Hydro said a squirrel was the cause of the outage.

493 power outages because of squirrels

While the idea of ​​a squirrel causing a power outage sounds unusual, it is not uncommon. These tiny rodents caused 493 power outages last year, according to Manitoba Hydro spokesman Riley McDonald.

In fact, wild animals are one of the main reasons for power outages in the province, he explains via email. They are also the first to be listed in the category of items in contact with power lines, which statistically accounts for 15% of power outages. (New window) published on the energy company’s website.

Since the squirrel is a rodent, one might think that its gluttony is the reason for the power outages, imagining it devouring the power cords. But that would be a sham experiment with these little animals, because the reason is completely different.

Basically, an animal causes a power outage by connecting two electrically separate devices together. For example, a bird’s wings can connect two power lines and cause a short circuit and blackoutexemplifies Riley McDonald.

In this case, the survival of the animal is very unlikely. Animals that cause such mishaps, including the squirrel [de ce mardi]not survivehe clarifies.

Measures to keep animals away

Given the number of wild animals residing in the province, Manitoba Hydro had to install devices to repel or deter them from approaching power lines and to prevent frequent power outages.

We have placed plastic shields around equipment that frequently comes into contact with animals. In some cases, reflective tape and shutters are used to prevent birds from landingsays Riley McDonald.

Manitoba Hydro has also built nesting platforms near its towers towards Lake Winnipeg to allow ospreys to nest outside of their facilities.

We do everything we can to prevent power outages caused by animals, but they are unpredictable.concludes Riley McDonald.