Edmonton courthouse resumes normal operations after temporary solution re-energizes building

File photo of Edmonton Law Courts.

Weeks after a power outage paralyzed the Edmonton Law Courts, normal operations have resumed, the province says, despite a lingering mystery about what caused the problem in the first place.

A spokesperson for the Infrastructure Ministry confirmed to CTV News Edmonton Tuesday that a "temporary electrical solution" has been successfully implemented while work continues to design and manufacture a permanent fix.

"At this time, the exact cause for the power disruption has not been identified and is still being investigated," said Benji Smith, press secretary to Alberta's infrastructure minister.

On Jan. 4, a major power outage in the south tower caused disruptions and cases to be adjourned at the Court of King's Bench and Court of Appeal, with all non-emergency lighting lost.

Danielle Boisvert, Criminal Trial Lawyers Association president, told CTV News Edmonton that the situation caused "a lot of chaos and confusion" and is another reason a new building is needed.

"A courthouse is absolutely one of the foundational buildings in a civil society. It is located right next to city hall for a reason. It is the grounding touchstone, the physical embodiment, of the rule of the law and of the openness of the justice system and the access the public should have to that system," Boisvert said on Jan. 10.

• Partial power returned to law courts' south tower, no timeline for full restoration: infrastructure minister 
• Power outage at Edmonton Law Courts sees cases adjourned, moved 

"So when ours is as shabby as it is, and as concrete, as it is, it doesn't invite people in," she added.

The province has indicated it has developed a business case with options for either renovating the courthouse or building a new facility.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Alex Antonesyhn