Vancouver's West End hit with power outage amid high winds

Jan 7 2022, 8:39 pm

Several businesses in downtown Vancouver were temporarily closed Friday because of a power outage caused by high winds.

More than 20,000 customers around the Lower Mainland were without power Friday after a freezing rain storm swept across the region, according to BC Hydro. Nearly 2,500 customers in the West End went dark after the wind downed a power line.

BC Hydro

BC Hydro

Shops in the Denman Place Mall, Tim Hortons, 7-Eleven, and more posted handwritten notes on their windows saying they’d reopen whenever the power comes back on.

711 sign

A sign on the Denman Street 7-Eleven (Daily Hive Vancouver)

tim hortons closed

Tim Hortons at Denman and Nelson was also closed due to the power outage (Daily Hive Vancouver)

liquor store closed

“Closed until power comes back” this sign on door of the Denman Place liquor store reads. (Daily Hive Vancouver.

A Daily Hive reader shared a photo of what appeared to be the problem tree resting on a power line on Henshaw Lane as crews tried to fix it.

tree power outage

Max B/Submitted

At nearby English Bay, the powerful winds brought huge waves crashing onto the beach.

Several parks staff were on site in their trucks, cautioning people on the beach from getting too close to the water.

parks staff

Daily Hive Vancouver

The Park Board also closed Stanley Park completely as well as a section of the seawall near Sunset Beach that had flooded.

A king tide came to Vancouver Friday morning and caused widespread flooding at seawalls, parks, and beaches.

Metro Vancouver was under a wind warning from Environment Canada Friday, with the weather agency forecasting 50 kilometre per hour winds gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour.

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