Thousands of dollars in damage after power outages destroy appliances in Arnprior, Ont.
Dozens of homes in a newly built subdivision in Arnprior have thousands of dollars worth of damage after multiple power outages fried their household appliances.
Everyone in the Marshall's Bay Meadows subdivision off Madawaska Boulevard moved in less than a year ago. Resident Mike Newton says he has lost several appliances.
"We've lost our furnace, our air conditioning, our dishwasher, and some minor lighting in the house," Newton tells CTV News.
"I've heard people have lost as much as their hot tubs and fridges, so there's been some significant damage done to people's property."
At least three town-wide power outages took place in Arnprior between Sunday evening and Monday evening.
Many in the area are pointing to a potential explosion on a nearby power pole. First-time homeowner Jake Dunn has his property back onto Madawaska Boulevard where the hydro poles are located.
"It sounded like two shotgun blasts went off," Dunn recalls. "The power went off once, came back on, went off again, and then I looked out my back window and it looked like a firework went off over one of the hydro lines. There was sparks flying everywhere."
Dunn is in a similar situation as Newton, his furnace and air conditioner have been fried.
"When I called yesterday to schedule the appointment they said that I was about the 37th house in the neighbourhood that was experiencing this problem," says Dunn.
"It's a brand new neighbourhood, shouldn't really be something we have to worry about."
Homeowners are being told to have their appliances reimbursed through insurance, with the power outages and surge being labelled an act of God.
Questions are now being raised after the town lost power three times within twenty-four hours.
"The town is a customer of Hydro One, just like everyone else who is here," says councillor Lisa McGee.
"It's near impossible to come up with any solutions without understanding what it is that happened in the first place."
In a statement to CTV News, Hydro One says the power outage Sunday night affecting approximately 7,090 people was due to a broken crossarm on a main power line.
An outage on Monday afternoon affecting approximately 12,380 people is still under investigation.
Newton says he was told repairs of his appliances could take weeks, replacements even longer.
"I've lived in Pakenham, Almonte, and Braeside," he says, "and I haven't had outages like this."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.