Copper theft caused widespread power outages in Red Deer: RCMP
An RCMP cruiser is seen in an undated file photo. (Jeremy Thompson/CTV News Edmonton)
Several neighbourhoods in Red Deer were left without power Monday night after a copper wire theft.
The power outages occurred in the east and north neighbourhoods in the city at around 9 p.m., according to the city.
“We cannot emphasize enough how dangerous stealing copper wire is as it often results in life threatening or life ending injuries for the thief,” said electrical distribution supervisor Vince Gibbons in a news release.
“This also puts extra risk on our staff who work to restore power as quickly as possible, but with infrastructure that’s been tampered.”
A public information officer with Alberta RCMP told CTV News Edmonton how a report from a community member led to police discovering the cause of the outages.
"They heard a loud bang and it sounded like two people screaming outside," Const. Cory Riggs said.
"Crews located an underground electrical pit that was open in a green space behind the person's home. When we approached it, we saw that there were several large cables which brought power to the community, and they were cut with a (reciprocating saw)," he added.
Power was restored in several neighbourhoods by 11 p.m. Monday night, although some locations in the Taylor Drive and 60 Street areas were still experiencing outages until 5:30 a.m Tuesday.
Another power outage Tuesday morning was impacting the north side.
As of 9:30 a.m., crews had not yet determined a cause and did not have an approximate time for restoring power.
Police are urging anyone with information regarding the theft or power outages to call the non-emergency line at 403-406-2200.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Actions speak louder: What experts are saying about the body language in the U.S. presidential debate
The highly anticipated debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was a heated matchup that revealed plenty about their plans for America's future, if elected. Here's what experts who analyzed the exchange had to say.
'Buy nothing': PSAC wants federal workers to boycott downtown Ottawa businesses
A union representing federal employees is asking its members to bring their own lunch to work, in an apparent retaliation against downtown Ottawa businesses as new return-to-office protocols begin.
Inside a Manitoba ghost town, a group of ladies work to keep it alive
Abandoned homes line the streets of Lauder, a town that's now a ghost of what it once was. Yet inside, a small community is thriving.
Carnival cruise ship collides with iceberg
The words 'Titanic moment' are possibly the last thing you want to hear on a boat – but that was the phrase used by one passenger on board the Carnival Spirit cruise ship last week, after the vessel unexpectedly struck an iceberg.
Dollarama sales peak in second quarter: A sign more Canadians are shopping at discount stores to make ends meet
Montreal-based discount retailer, Dollarama, reported a growth in profit and sales in the second quarter, signalling more Canadians are looking for a deal as the cost of living remains high.
Trudeau says he 'can't wait' to get into it with Poilievre in Parliament
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he 'can't wait' to get back to Ottawa to get into it with Pierre Poilievre in the House of Commons, as he makes the case to his own party to put up a united front against the Conservatives.
Man, 70, and woman, 71, found shot dead in Montreal apartment, police
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating after a man, 70, and woman, 71, were killed by gunshot wounds in an apartment.
Trump suggests he won't debate Harris again, attacks ABC over moderators' fact-checking
The morning after Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump’s first presidential debate, it is far from clear if Trump will agree to a rematch.
'I'm not going to listen to you': Singh rejects Poilievre's push for early election, sets sights on progressive policy
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will focus on advancing progressive policies, amid renewed pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to help him bring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal minority government down when Parliament resumes next week.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
Calgary
-
Calgary sports complex adding lazy river and water slides with $87.5M expansion
A well-known Calgary sports complex is getting a massive makeover.
-
Cougar stalks acreage southwest of Calgary twice in a day, kills cat
A warning from a concerned parent after multiple frighteningly close encounters with a cougar on an acreage just southwest of the city on Tuesday.
-
Alberta Premier Smith says she wants Calgary Green Line to proceed as first pitched
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's committed to Calgary’s multibillion-dollar Green Line light-rail transit project, but as it was originally envisioned.
Lethbridge
-
Milk River Emergency Department temporarily closed Thursday
Milk River Emergency Department will be temporarily closed Thursday – but this time it’s not because of a doctor shortage.
-
Lethbridge students struggling to find jobs through the school year
Thousands of students at the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic are back in Lethbridge for the school year.
-
Lethbridge firefighters hold annual procession to honour fallen first responderson 23rd anniversary of 9/11
Members of the Lethbridge Fire Department took part in a procession to honour all first responders who have died in the line of duty earlier Wednesday.
Saskatoon
-
Saskatoon Tribal Council shelter will face cuts after new proposed shelter opens: province
The proposed downtown location for the city’s newest homeless shelter is drawing criticism from the chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC), which runs the city’s largest emergency shelter.
-
Councillors endorse Saskatoon downtown planning roadmap
Saskatoon city councillors put their support behind a planning document that is expected to guide the next decade of development for the downtown core at its governance and priorities committee Wednesday.
-
'We do it well': How Elections Saskatchewan preps for voting
Saskatchewan is entering election season, with voters soon heading to the polls to determine the province’s future.
Regina
-
Langenburg UFO sighting commemorated with silver coin
Perhaps Saskatchewan's most famous encounter with Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP/UFO) – "The Langenburg Event" is now being immortalized in the form of a collective coin.
-
Town of Gravelbourg says goodbye to water tower
For as long as she can remember, 98-year-old Minnie Nugent has enjoyed the view of a water tower in the skyline, welcoming her home to Gravelbourg.
-
'Another option': Sask. widening scope of practice for pharmacists
The provincial government is widening the scope of practice for Saskatchewan pharmacists with the launch of a new pilot project.
Vancouver
-
B.C. family says razor blades found in bag of frozen blueberries
The B.C. parents of an 11-year-old girl said their daughter recently found a package containing razor blades in a bag of Kirkland-brand frozen blueberries.
-
RCMP investigation into Lytton, B.C., wildfire finds no criminality, no definitive cause
The RCMP has concluded its criminal investigation into the "devastating and fatal fire" that tore through the Village of Lytton and surrounding Indigenous communities more than three years ago.
-
Lucky Cowboy the horse euthanized after being injured in Vancouver race, group says
Animal advocates have renewed calls to boycott horse races after another animal was injured and euthanized at Hastings Racecourse last week.
Vancouver Island
-
RCMP enforcement at B.C. logging protests 'unreasonable,' federal police watchdog says
A federal police oversight agency has found the RCMP's enforcement of a civil injunction against old-growth logging protesters on Vancouver Island was unreasonable and violated the rights of activists.
-
'Concerning' number of impaired drivers arrested in roads in Saanich, B.C.: police
Police on southern Vancouver Island say they’ve arrested almost as many impaired drivers in the first eight months of this year than they did in 2023 in a concerning trend of people getting behind the wheel while drunk or on drugs.
-
Metro Vancouver men charged after several kilos of drugs seized
Two men are facing drug-trafficking charges after police seized several kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine from multiple Metro Vancouver properties last year, British Columbia's anti-organized crime task force announced Wednesday.
Toronto
-
Judges quash OPP’s decision that officer misconduct in fatal crash was 'not serious'
A panel of Ontario judges has thrown out a decision by the Ontario Provincial Police that an officer’s misconduct behind the wheel that killed a pedestrian in 2020 was not serious, saying the force must reconsider, and at least explain its decision to his grieving widow.
-
Suspects in GTA auto theft ring came to Ontario ‘for sole purpose’ of stealing cars: Halton police
Halton Regional Police say they have disrupted a group believed to be responsible for the theft of at least 40 vehicles in Halton Region and the Greater Toronto Area worth over $3 million.
-
Port Lands gas plant emissions seven times too high for some building heights in new development: report
The proposed height of some buildings that are part of a new residential development on Toronto's east waterfront have been called into question after a newly released report found that a nearby gas plant is producing emissions seven times higher than the legal limit.
Montreal
-
Man, 70, and woman, 71, found shot dead in Montreal apartment, police
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating after a man, 70, and woman, 71, were killed by gunshot wounds in an apartment.
-
-
Social media comments blocked: Montreal mayor says she won't accept vulgar slurs
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to limit comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
Atlantic
-
'Bit of a mess': The challenges of getting around Halifax
Ongoing construction is causing traffic woes for Halifax drivers.
-
Man charged with attempted murder after Halifax shooting
A 34-year-old man is facing an attempted murder charge after an alleged shooting in the north end of Halifax last week.
-
'Don’t get sick on a Friday,' Bedford, N.S., MLA tells health committee
Despite data and testimony from health officials reporting progress on emergency health-care access, a Nova Scotia Liberal MLA says the system is still not up to standard.
Winnipeg
-
'She was very honourable': Cathy Merrick lies in state at Manitoba legislature
The sound of sombre song serenaded the halls of the Manitoba legislature Wednesday as Cathy Merrick's casket was brought in for a closed-door ceremony. Merrick died last Friday and was to lie in state Wednesday afternoon to allow the public to pay their respects.
-
Inside a Manitoba ghost town, a group of ladies work to keep it alive
Abandoned homes line the streets of Lauder, a town that's now a ghost of what it once was. Yet inside, a small community is thriving.
-
If you build it, they will come: How Manitoba farmers created their own 'Field of Dreams'
A hamlet with a population of fewer than 70 residents has successfully brought people back in time to 1989 - the setting, a ‘Field of Dreams’ carved out of cornfields.
Ottawa
-
'Buy nothing': PSAC wants federal workers to boycott downtown Ottawa businesses
A union representing federal employees is asking its members to bring their own lunch to work, in an apparent retaliation against downtown Ottawa businesses as new return-to-office protocols begin.
-
Ottawa's mayor warns transit fare hikes, transit levy increases to address transit shortfall in 2025
Ottawa's mayor is warning of fare increases of 2.5 per cent to 75 per cent, service cuts, tax hikes, the elimination of free fares or a combination of levers to help offset a $120 million funding shortfall in the OC Transpo budget next year.
-
Famous Winston Churchill portrait, stolen in Ottawa, is found
Ottawa's Chateau Laurier hotel says authorities have recovered an iconic photograph of Winston Churchill after it was stolen and replaced with a fake nearly three years ago.
Northern Ontario
-
Public defecation leads to threats charge at northern Ont. campground
An incident involving siblings last weekend in Thessalon, Ont., ended with threats against campground staff and charges for one of the family members.
-
U.S. presidential historian predicts results of November elections. Here's who he says will win
An American presidential historian is predicting a Kamala Harris presidency as the outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections in November.
-
Lotto Max jackpot hits record $75 million, could rise to $80M
Starting Friday, Lotto Max draw participants can play for prize of $75 million for the first time ever in Canada.
Barrie
-
Police investigate fatal hit-and-run on Highway 26 involving transport truck
Police are investigating an alleged hit-and-run after an individual was found dead at the side of the road in Springwater Township early Wednesday morning.
-
Highway 12 multi-vehicle crash sends 1 person to hospital
Traffic along Highway 12 was impacted by a multi-vehicle crash.
-
OPP constable charged after alleged assault at Santa's Village
A woman has been charged with assault following an incident at an amusement park in Bracebridge.
Kitchener
-
Residents stepping up home security in Waterloo Region
In a push to make their homes more secure, a local home surveillance company says more residents are installing security cameras on their properties.
-
Civil lawsuit alleging 'brutal' sexual assault launched against accused in Ont.'s 'Woodland rapist' case
An alleged child predator who was arrested and charged earlier this year is now facing a civil lawsuit in connection with a "brutal" sexual assault in a Toronto area park reported nearly 30 years ago.
-
Guelph Humane Society helping foxes with contagious disease
The Guelph Humane Society believes a contagious disease is spreading among the local wildlife.
London
-
Victim taken to hospital with serious injuries following afternoon shooting
The London police are investigating a shooting that took place on Boullee Street in London Wednesday afternoon.
-
Traffic chaos on campus continues amid ongoing labour disruption at Western University
It’s day 13 of a strike by Western University’s facilities employees and some roads around the campus remain closed, causing delays for students and motorists.
-
'We’re in this mire and this muck': Former trustee and councillor says school board needs to come clean over director’s departure
A long-time former city councillor and public school board trustee is calling on the Thames Valley District School Board to come clean regarding its education director, now on a leave of absence.
Windsor
-
Windsor facing uphill battle to collect unpaid parking ticket revenue
The City of Windsor is struggling to collect a "significant" amount of unpaid parking ticket revenue.
-
Will a rate cut spur further building boom in Windsor? Maybe
The latest interest rate cut may not open the floodgates of construction in Windsor-Essex, according to the area’s home builders’ association.
-
Local photojournalist has retrospective of his work at museum
A local award-winning photojournalist is having a retrospective exhibit of his work in Windsor.
