HydroOne begins refit of RR grid: Purchase of Ainsworth feed should reduce outages

By Ken Johnston
Editor

If you are charged up over the recent string of power outages in Rainy River, you better get used to them.
Paul Kiewning, Customer Operations Manager for HydroOne, told the Record last week that the company is just wrapping up its first of three years worth of improvements to the Rainy River power grid. “This is just the start and this summer we spent $700,000 in Rainy River.” That is why the power was out last Wednesday morning from 9 to Noon. They had three crews busily replacing poles, switches and relining the final piece of stage one which was in the west end of town. Next year they expect to do the mid-section of Rainy River and then the year after the balance of the community.
There will also be two more outages this month, one this coming Sunday and one on the 21st. “While we try to do as much of the work with the lines live, for safety reasons we do have to have outages,” explained Kiewning.
In addition to the work in Rainy River the company has been busily replacing poles and accessories on the main line from Fort Frances to Rainy River. Over seven to eight years they will have the entire line brought up to Electrical Safety Authority Standards. This year they worked between Stratton and Pinewood, replacing more than 200 poles. They spent $1.6 million on that section this year and have about four more years of work to complete the project.
Kiewning said that the new poles and lines are much higher and that will help prevent outages from trees touching lines, etc. He also told the Record some news that will help alleviate the constant outages citizens in Rainy River experience because of being at the end of the line. Right now there is only one main feeder line from Fort Frances to Rainy River. If something happens to it citizens here are generally without power until it is fixed. However, Kiewning said that HydroOne has just sealed a deal to purchase the Ainsworth transmission line and after some work it will allow for two sources of power to the west end. So when something occurs to the main line east of Barwick, the west end will be able to be fed from the Ainsworth line. “That should mean less outages for Rainy River,” said Kiewning. He was uncertain as to a time line on when that capability will be fully operational.
Next year HydroOne will do line and poll work as well as forestry work in the center section of Rainy River. They will also replace poles and do line work from Pinewood to Sleeman. Of course Kiewning said that is all contingent on funding being left in place by the company for the work.
On the Sept. 7 and 21 outages they are bringing 28 workers in from Kenora, Dryden, Ear Falls and Fort Frances to work on the upgrades.