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

Greater Sudbury Hydro is warning about the dangers of copper wire theft, which is a growing problem across the city.

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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In a statement Friday evening, Hydro One said copper theft of this type is a serious issue for customers and the utility.

Severe injuries

“Metal thieves put themselves, along with our employees, first responders and potentially the public at risk of severe injuries and death when copper wire is removed from lines or transformer stations,” the statement said.

“Our electricity infrastructure should only be accessed by Hydro One’s highly skilled employees or approved contractors.”

Hydro One is working with the OPP in the investigation, the statement added.

“As a matter of security, we do not share information on the measures we have in place or the actions we take to protect our infrastructure,” Hydro One said.

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.