Tougher consequences needed for copper thieves as incidents increase, says Bell Canada

New Brunswick is seeing a sharp uptick in copper thefts.

Bell Canada says tougher consequences are needed for copper thieves, as incidents grow across the country – especially in New Brunswick.

The telecommunications company has already tallied 80 incidents of copper theft in the province this year, with 80 per cent of reports occurring in the Fredericton-Oromocto area.

“We’ll have stretches of a couple months where things go a little bit quiet, usually after we’ve made some big arrests,” says Dana Lohnes, Bell’s director of field operations, in an interview. “Inevitably, the problem creeps back up again.”

The company says repeated copper theft incidents have happened recently in Stanley, Hoyt, Fredericton Junction, and Keswick Ridge.

Lohnes says in addition to disrupting the delivery of internet and television services, the vandalism most seriously impacts emergency communication systems such as 911 and radio systems for first responders.

“So, it’s not insignificant,” he says. “It’s serious.”

Lohnes says the company has improved alarm mechanisms around infrastructure, while also increasing surveillance and security patrols, but is now calling for different levels of government to increase fines and jail time for convicted individuals.

“We’ve seen some improvements to some of the regulations,” says Lohnes. “But we need to push further.”

In a statement Monday, New Brunswick’s Department of Justice and Public Safety says it has taken steps to make it more difficult for stolen copper to be sold by requiring licensed dealers to record every purchase with identifying information.

The province’s statement says it’s working with stakeholders “to see what further amendments to the act would benefit New Brunswickers.”

Bell Canada is also calling for the Canadian Senate to revive its study on theft within the telecommunications sector.

Across Canada, copper theft is up 23 per cent year-over-year according to Bell (with over 500 cases recorded so far in 2025, and more than 2,270 since 2022). The company says copper theft incidents are most prevalent in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick.

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