SaskPower working to restore more than 300 outages

SaskPower's head office in Regina is seen in this file photo.

REGINA — SaskPower has provided an update on the ongoing efforts to restore power to Saskatchewan communities, after a forceful winter storm knocked out service in various parts of the province.

The crown corporation said there are around 321 remaining outages that have left 37,000 people in the dark, down from 78,000 previously reported.

As of 7 p.m. Thursday, SaskPower said Saskatchewan Landing, Kyle and other rural areas south of Elrose are some of the communities whose power will remain off overnight.

The power company said those in the Stoughton and Midale areas should have power restored around midnight tonight.

Power in the Weyburn area – which includes 800 urban and 1,200 rural customers – is currently off, though services may return this evening. SaskPower said further updates will be reported.

According to SaskPower, its outage centre received more than 63,000 calls between 10 a.m. Wednesday and 4 p.m. Thursday.

SaskPower said it prioritized returning electricity to essential services, such as medical facilities, care homes, police and fire stations, then turned its focus to restoring power to as many customers as possible.

SaskPower reminded people to maintain a safe distance if they come across a downed power line or damaged infrastructure, and to call SaskPower to report the damage.