Power outage planned for Barriefield, CFB Kingston

With construction planned to “make local electricity system improvements” in Kingston’s east end, Utilities Kingston is advising of a necessary power outage in the area to allow the work to take place.

The power outage will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, and will affect Utilities Kingston electricity customers in the CFB Kingston and Barriefield Village areas. Customers in these areas will experience a 30-minute outage beginning at 8 a.m., and then another 30-minute outage that will begin sometime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

“Utilities Kingston is committed to managing and maintaining local infrastructure to ensure reliable utility services, and to support the growth and development of our community. This power outage is necessary to allow workers to install new overhead electrical distribution lines and equipment on behalf of your electricity distributor, Kingston Hydro Corporation. For the safety of utility crews, equipment must be de-energized to complete the work,” the local utility provider said in a press release on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023.

A map of the affected area, seen above, can be viewed on the Utilities Kingston website in advance (by clicking on the “Scheduled” map or list options), and during the outages (by clicking on the “Current” map or list options).

Utilities Kingston offered the following tips for individuals or families during a power outage:

• Make sure your appliances, such as the stove, are in the off position.
• Make sure your cellphone and extended battery packs are fully charged.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Use a cooler with ice for items you’ll need during the planned outage.
• Plan ahead and consider a source of back-up power for important building systems, including sump pumps.
• Do not use a propane barbeque, camp stove, or portable standby generator indoors. They can generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Your carbon monoxide detector may not work in an outage.
• If you plan to use a generator, remember to use it in a dry area outdoors away from any open windows, doors, and vents. Visit the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) website at esasafe.com for more tips.
• If you depend on electrically powered medical equipment, consider having the following: 
  • A back-up phone that does not require electricity;
  • An uninterruptable power supply (UPS) connected at all times;
  • Back-up generation available; and/or
  • Alternative arrangements in place (such as staying with family or friends.)

“Utilities Kingston apologizes for the inconvenience caused by the power outage. This work helps to ensure you have a reliable source of electricity,” the utility company said.