Grrrr...
What's my beef? I have two beefs: 1) BC Hydro. The storms that hit people in Victoria in the last month have knocked down power in the region. The real storm that created this suffering hit over six years ago. Enron screwed power suppliers like BC Hydro-- it left them holding the bag on millions of dollars in unpaid bills. BC Hydro had to keep its books in order. So, their budgets skewed in favour of black ink and the expense of preventitive maintenance Preventitive maintenance does mean replacing cables-- but in the tree-filled region, it largely means trimming trees that lie near power cables. Trimming keeps a safety margin between trees and cables. Trees grow slowly. You have several years grace before tree branches close in. In well trafficked areas like Victoria's Cook Street Village, the lines have a visible halo of tree-less-ness. In remote reaches like Metchosin and Langford, trimming stayed on the BC Hydro's to-do list. Add in three storms back-to-back and suddenly...
