Braving the storm: Inside the dangerous world of BC Hydro power line technicians

The dangers faced by BC Hydro linemen When severe weather hits and the power goes out, it's BC Hydro linemen who rush to get the lights back on. Ben Miljure reports on the dangerous work that often takes them away from their families.

When severe weather hits and the power goes out, BC Hydro power line technicians rush into the field, putting themselves in harm's way to get the lights back on.

During a ride-along, CTV News learned how the work often takes crew members away from their families during some of the most important times of year.

After a storm blanketed parts of the Fraser Valley in a thick layer of ice last year, BC Hydro crews went to work—even as ice and branches came crashing down around them.

"You hear a branch break and it goes off like a gunshot," said foreman Greg Polok. "You know something's coming down. You know there's weight behind it."

The storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers and had crews working around the clock between Christmas and New Year's—a schedule they've come to expect.

"It seems like Christmas time is always a big one," said power line technician Colin Sillje. "There's always outages happening."

That means the crew members often spend the holidays away from their loved ones.

"Over my 28 years, I've gone 19 Christmases and New Year's—I had to work," Polok said. "You keep a toll in the back of your mind because you know it affects your family."

To make matters worse, the work is dangerous, involving live power lines, flying debris and unpredictable weather.

"Nighttime work is always hazardous for us," Polok said. High winds—you get in these areas where there's a lot of trees and you can't see what's coming at you at night."

The crews rely on each other for safety. They always work in teams and hope their colleagues will see any potential hazards they might have missed.

In addition to the camaraderie, one perk of the job is meeting hydro customers happy to have the power back on.

"A lot of times, they'll bring out coffee or something small to each which is really nice," Sillje said. "Everybody appreciates it."

With files from CTV Vancouver's Ben Miljure