Locals react to power outages in southwest Saskatchewan

We depend on electricity in many different ways in our daily lives.

But people living in some parts of southwest Saskatchewan are getting a prolonged taste of what it’s like to live without power.

That part of the province was hammered by a storm Tuesday. It ripped out power lines and broke power poles, leaving entire communities without electric service.

As of Thursday, it had been restored to some areas. But some places aren’t expected to see the lights come back on until Thursday night, or even Friday night.

SaskPower customers in Golden Prairie, which is about 50 kilometres northwest of Maple Creek, are supposed to get their power restored Thursday night.

But in the meantime, it’s a bit nerve-wracking for Steven McCracken. He runs Dryland Fisheries, an indoor fish farm in town.

He has been able to get by with a generator, but it’s definitely worrying for him. His trout could die without power.

“We’re all indoors with intensive, recirculating aquaculture …,” he said. “We can’t afford power outages.”

He also hasn’t been able to take a shower or anything like that because of the lack of water.

That’s the same case for Pastor Rod Nikkel, who runs the church in Golden Prairie.

“Showering definitely is an issue,” he said with a giggle.

However, he said quite a few people in town have generators, and many are helping each other out.

“The mayor has been running around with an extra power plant and turning things on for people, getting their freezers on for a few hours and stuff like that (and getting them) some heat,” he said.

Nikkel said heat is the main issue. It’s cold in the church right now, though he’s very glad the power outage isn’t happening in the dead of winter.

“It’s not cold enough that it’s freezing inside buildings, so we’re just kind of leaving well enough alone. I’ve got the shades all up so the heat comes in from the sun,” Nikkel said.

It will hopefully be over soon, but in the meantime, he’s glad to see that small-town spirit of helping one another.

“People are definitely going around and making sure each other are OK,” he said.