Brazen thieves chop down 33 hydro poles, steal $100K in copper

Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after officials discovered 33 hydro poles had been cut down and stripped of $100,000 in copper wire.

Police in northern Ontario are investigating after thieves cut down 33 hydro poles by the Hound Chute Generating Station near Cobalt earlier this month.

The poles were then stripped of copper wiring worth about $100,000, Ontario Provincial Police said Friday.

The hydro poles were taken down between May 1 and May 7 in the area of Silverfields Road in Coleman Township.

Remote area

“The theft occurred in a remote area along the road connecting the town of Cobalt and the Hound Chute Hydro Generating Station,” the OPP said.

Const. Martin Thibault told CTV News in an email that the poles were not live when they were cut down and no customers were affected.

The poles were left on the ground and were found stripped of copper, Thibault added.

“That is a very good question,” he responded when asked how someone would sell such a large amount of copper without raising suspicion.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer.”

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CTV News has contacted Ontario Power Generation, which operates the Hound Chute Hydro Generating Station, and were told that the poles belonged to Hydro One.

A message to Hydro One seeking comment Friday hasn’t yet been returned.

Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit information online where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000. Reference No. E250569535.