Live in Pemberton? Don't forget to plug in your cell phone before bed on Saturday night.
The Village of Pemberton issued an advisory Friday informing residents that BC Hydro has scheduled an eight-hour-long power outage for the community this Sunday, Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"Planned outages are necessary to safely maintain and improve the electric system, which helps reduce the frequency of unplanned outages caused by storms and equipment failures," the Village explained in the advisory.
According to BC Hydro, customers in Birken, D'arcy, Lillooet, Mount Currie, Pemberton, Squamish, and Whistler could also experience "an interruption of power" during the planned outage, though customers located on a particular set of streets listed on BC Hydro's website will be most impacted.
Residents are advised to turn off electric heaters and major appliances and unplug sensitive electronics before the outage begins, in order to protect the items from damage. "If you rely on electric medical equipment, access doors or garage doors, have a plan to maintain use," the notice added.
For the first hour after power is restored, BC Hydro recommends only plugging in or turning on electronics and appliances "you really need," in order to prevent the system from getting overloaded and give it time to stabilize.
The power provider says factors like safety, weather, school days, community events, traffic management and availability of experts all play into BC Hydro's decision-making when choosing a date for a planned outage.
