It’s a staple within the southwest Calgary group of Lakeview. When you’ve been within the space for any period of time, you’ve pushed by Lakeview Husky.
The service station on Crowchild Path southwest has been there for 60 years, sporting a classic attraction on the outside and pleasant workers inside that maintain the telephones ringing — particularly within the summertime.
“(The telephone rings) generally 15, 20 occasions a day,” supervisor Michael Swab stated. “All of it relies on the time of 12 months.”
Swab set to work on Monday morning and located the telephone wasn’t ringing like ordinary — he was out of service.
On Wednesday, he lastly bought calls routed by way of his cellphone.
“In these three, three-and-a-half days we’ve most likely misplaced hundreds of {dollars} in enterprise,” he lamented.
Story continues under commercial
Swab reached out to World Information in regards to the challenge, unaware there was a nefarious purpose for the extended outage that’s left him with no landline for all the work week.
Lakeview Husky is one in every of roughly 3,500 properties and companies in Calgary impacted by a spree of copper thefts which have impacted Telus traces.
“It’s an enormous challenge, one which places public security in danger,” defined Anne Martin, Telus’ VP of Community & Engineering Operations.
“(Telus) has skilled an 80-per cent improve in cable thefts this 12 months in comparison with the identical interval of final 12 months.”
Get breaking Nationwide information
For information impacting Canada and world wide, join breaking information alerts delivered on to you once they occur.
The thefts are rampant throughout Canada, Martin says, however Alberta — and notably Calgary — appear to be probably the most troublesome spots.
Telus alone has handled eight separate incidents since July 10.
An instance of one of many Telus communication traces thieves reduce in Calgary throughout a latest stretch of eight incidents in two weeks.
Telus
“When thieves reduce the copper line, they’re not simply stealing the metallic. They’re compromising folks’s potential to succeed in emergency providers,” Martin stated.
Story continues under commercial
The corporate says it’s introduced in crews from B.C. and different elements of Alberta, working by way of the night time in some cases, to revive service.
Nevertheless it’s an advanced repair.
“(The wires) comprise hundreds of twisted pair cables, and once they get reduce, every strand must be individually spliced again collectively,” Martin defined.
In mild of the rising drawback, Calgary police are urging folks within the metropolis to safeguard their properties and again alleys with cameras and movement lights.
Trending Now
Trump says Canada might must ‘simply pay tariffs’ as commerce talks proceed
U.S. steelmakers say Trump’s tariffs ‘working,’ need Canada to comply with swimsuit
Extra on Crime
Extra movies
“Thieves can rapidly strip this worthwhile metallic, resulting in hundreds of {dollars} in damages,” a CPS spokesperson stated.
“These prices aren’t simply from the stolen copper itself, but in addition from the in depth repairs wanted and the operational downtime for companies or residents.”
Enterprise homeowners are additionally inspired to color uncovered copper black to make the metallic much less enticing to potential thieves.
Alberta’s Scrap Metallic Sellers and Recyclers Regulation requires metallic recycling corporations to ask sellers for private identification and mark down any automobile particulars.
Purchases of “restricted metals” akin to copper are additionally recorded in a provincial database.
Martin says Telus and different Canadian telecommunications corporations are advocating for change.
Story continues under commercial
“In Canada, the punishment doesn’t match the crime. More often than not, thieves get charged with Theft Beneath $5,000, which is actually the identical as stealing a bicycle,” Martin stated.
“We’re nonetheless in search of that larger collaboration with regulation enforcement — stiffer deterrents, more durable penalties.”
Whereas he’s pissed off by the extended outage, Swab’s hopeful it’ll be mounted quickly, whereas empathetic for folks pressured right into a tough scenario.
“Persons are determined proper now. I don’t assume there’s the identical alternatives there was once.”
3:06
Calgary copper theft might have an effect on life-saving product
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
