Saskatoon Faces Major Traffic Nightmares After Widespread Power Outage

Saskatoon is grappling with severe traffic chaos after a significant power outage swept across the city on Tuesday afternoon. The gridlock began after the power was interrupted at around 1:45 PM, and while efforts to restore it were put into action, normalcy returned only by 4:09 PM.

Trevor Bell, Director of Saskatoon Light and Power, revealed to local news that the outage stemmed from a failure of a high voltage switch at a substation located in the northwest part of the city. “The failure led to a cascading event impacting two transmission lines,” Bell explained, noting that nearly two-thirds of their customers—approximately 30,000 to 40,000 people—were affected. This type of extensive outage is quite rare for the city, occurring only once every few years.

Though the power has been restored, many areas report ongoing traffic troubles, with malfunctioning traffic lights exacerbating the situation. Around 3:30 PM, social media was flooded with reports of severe traffic jams, particularly on 22nd Street, 33rd Street (near FreshCo and the Co-op), and College Drive, with unsuccessful efforts to clear accidents and gridlocked intersections. Local transit services, including buses, also faced delays due to the traffic disruptions.

The city announced that repairs are necessary and ongoing, with crews working tirelessly to understand what caused the switch failure and to ensure similar incidents don’t happen in the future. According to a message from SaskPower, the outage primarily affected Saskatoon Light and Power's service area, which encompasses various neighborhoods.

In addition to affecting daily commutes, the outage also impacted local schools and businesses, with some educational institutions dismissing students early to avoid the chaos. The response from schools indicated that staff would make necessary adjustments to keep students safe during this challenging time, while parents were urged to pick up their children given the traffic difficulties.

Neighborhoods significantly affected by the outage included Market Mall, downtown Saskatoon, South Nutana Park, Mayfair, and Haultain, among others. While some areas retained power, including Wildwood and parts of Fairhaven, many residents are left wondering how long it will take for full recovery and restoration of normal service.

As the community navigates through these challenges, the city is also analyzing the incident to prevent similar power failures in the future. Be on the lookout for further updates as the situation develops! Stay safe out there, Saskatoon!