Fredericton power outage shutters government offices, downtown businesses

Severe damage to a utility pole in downtown Fredericton led to an outage for hundreds, but what caused the damage is not yet known.

Government offices, arts attractions and restaurants in Fredericton's downtown were forced to close Wednesday, as about 450 in the downtown south side were without power until just after 4:30 p.m.

N.B. Power spokesperson D'Arcy Lesley Walsh said the outage was caused by a broken pole on a corner of Regent and Brunswick streets.

"We are still investigating what caused the pole to break," Walsh said.

The statement from the utility did not say whether police have been involved in the investigation.

N.B. Power reported more than 400 customers in Fredericton's downtown were without power Wednesday. (Michael Heenan/CBC)

Walsh said restoration was challenging due to the severity of damage to the pole and its location.

"The pole broke off at the ground level. Since the pole was encased in brick and poured cement, crews needed to use a jackhammer to remove the portion of the pole still in the ground so they could set a new pole," Walsh said.

"Currently, the new pole is in place, and crews are working to connect the cables and get customers back online. The traffic and construction in the area has added to the complexity of the repair, and our crews are working hard to get customers restored safely."

The Fredericton Playhouse's box office was also closed Wednesday during the power outage. (CBC)

There were also three smaller outages Wednesday — one planned, affecting four customers, and two caused by "vehicle accident" affecting two customers on Killarney Road.

Around 8 a.m., the province announced one of its office buildings, Chancery Place on King Street, had lost power.

"Therefore all employees will work from home today as the latest update from NB Power shows power being restored later today," the statement said.

Spokesperson Alycia Bartlett said "no government operations have been directly impacted" by Wednesday's outage.

The Beaverbrook Art Gallery was closed for the day due to the outage affecting part of the city's downtown. (Pat Richard/CBC)

Businesses west of Regent Street on the downtown south side appeared to be operating as usual during the afternoon.

But east of Regent, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and the Playhouse were forced to close for the day.

Restaurants such as Snooty Fox, Isaac's Way, the Lunar Rogue, Moco, and the Hilton Garden Inn's Pickle Jar restaurant announced delayed openings.