Weekend storm highlights need for proper tree maintenance

Forestry-related issues caused power outages across city

TORONTO, June 30, 2015 /CNW/ -  This past weekend's wind and rain storm knocked out power to approximately 4,000 customers at its peak. The majority of these outages were caused by tree limbs or entire trees coming down and taking out powerlines.

Toronto Hydro has been actively working with the city on improved coordination of tree trimming, which was a recommendation following the 2013 ice storm. But we want to remind customers to proactively maintain trees on their property to help reduce the impact of forestry-related outages.

The city of Toronto is home to a large tree canopy, so it's expected there will be times when branches come into contact with our lines. By taking action now, we can reduce the number of power disruptions. 

When performing tree maintenance, it's important to do it safely. If you own the tree and it resides on your property near a powerline, you should hire a qualified arborist who is licensed to work on trees around powerlines. Homeowners should never attempt this type of work on their own. Customers that require maintenance on trees on city-owned property should call 311.

If you do notice wires that are on a tree or wires that have been knocked down because of trees and/or tree limbs, call 416-542-8000 (press 1) or 416-542-7800.

QUICK FACTS

• Toronto has more than 10 million trees
• Toronto Hydro spends approximately $2.8 million on tree maintenance each year with an additional $600,000 reserved for emergency calls
• There are approximately 125-150K+ trees near our powerlines

QUOTES

"This weekend's storm provides a perfect opportunity to remind our customers about the importance of trimming their trees. No one likes to have their power disrupted, and proper tree maintenance can help keep those outages to a minimum."
-  Tori Gass, Media Relations Specialist, Toronto Hydro

ABOUT TORONTO HYDRO

Toronto Hydro owns and operates an electricity distribution system, which delivers electricity to approximately 740,000 customers located in the city of Toronto. It is the largest municipal electricity distribution company in Canada and distributes approximately 18% of the electricity consumed in the province of Ontario.

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SOURCE Toronto Hydro Corporation

Image with caption: "Toronto Hydro equipment suffered extensive tree damage during this past weekend's storm (CNW Group/Toronto Hydro Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150630_C7618_PHOTO_EN_430757.jpg

Image with caption: "Toronto Hydro equipment suffered extensive tree damage during this past weekend's storm (CNW Group/Toronto Hydro Corporation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150630_C7618_PHOTO_EN_430759.jpg

Tori Gass, Communications and Public Relations, 416-903-4037, [email protected]; 24-hours media line: 416-903-6845, [email protected]