No Fuel Or EV Charging In Field During 14-Hour Power Outage Sunday

A planned power outage will leave parts of Yoho and Kootenay national parks without electricity for as long as 14 hours Sunday, affecting everything from fuel and vehicle charging to hot springs and visitor services.

BC Hydro has scheduled the regional outage from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mountain Time on Oct. 4 while crews conduct planned work on its equipment.

The outage is much larger than the national parks. BC Hydro says approximately 7,307 customers will be affected across Golden, Radium Hot Springs and Edgewater, along with parts of Parson, Donald, Nicholson, Field, Bisco and Harrogate.

For anyone travelling through the parks, one of the biggest impacts will be in Field, where Parks Canada says no services will be available, including fuel and electric vehicle charging.

Several Parks Canada facilities will also be affected.

The Radium Hot Springs pools will be closed, as will the Kootenay East Gate and Yoho West Gate. Redstreak Campground will remain open but without electricity.

In Yoho, the visitor centre will remain open for information and park pass sales, but its indoor washrooms and Wi-Fi will be unavailable. Portable toilets will be provided.

Kicking Horse, Takakkaw Falls and Lake O’Hara campgrounds are expected to remain open using generators, with water and sewer services continuing to operate.

Parks Canada is asking visitors to plan ahead, particularly if they will need fuel, vehicle charging or supplies while travelling through the affected areas.