Osprey responsible for large power outage in western P.E.I.

FILE - An osprey flies over the Chesapeake Bay on March 29, 2022, in Pasadena, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

An osprey caused a large power outage that affected customers in western Prince Edward Island Tuesday night.

The outage began around 8:30 p.m. in Summerside and surrounding area.

Maritime Electric determined the outage was the result of a failure at its Sherbrooke substation.

At the time, the City of Summerside said it was deploying generators to “critical locations.”

Power was restored to all customers by 11 p.m.

“Crews have determined the outage affecting communities in Western PEI was caused by an osprey making contact with a transmission line in the Sherbrooke Substation. The system responded as intended to prevent additional damage,” Maritime Electric said in a post on social media.

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