Street lights out for months

Are copper wire thefts leaving Lavigne residents in the dark?

Residents on des Lotus Street have been in the dark since the month of February because their street lights are inoperative. Residents have complained that their street in the western part of the Jardins Lavigne neighbourhood is unlighted, but a city spokesperson told the Bulletin the problem, on the street just north of the Metro Plus Kelly, is more complex than a theft of wire.

“Following a request, a city crew went to restore the power,” said a city spokesperson. “Because this is an underground intermittent problem, this action was repeated many times. Following each intervention, the lights would start working, but only temporarily. According to our information, the street lights are working now.  The same situation has come up in nearby streets. To fix the problem, the city must identify which wires are problematic.” Houses on des Lotus were built in the late 1980s to early 1990s.

Lucerne councillor Mike Duggan suspects the lighting problem might have stemmed from copper wire thefts, but the city rejects that theory. “No, the problem is an underground intermittent problem,” noted the city spokesperson.

Gatineau police’s Andrée East said there was no copper theft reported on des Lotus Street, adding that police data on this type of crime is unreliable.

Copper remains a valuable commodity. It can be sold to a scrap yard for up to $3 per pound (raw wire), while insulated copper wire can sell for just under $2 a pound.