Band of beavers chew through B.C. town’s fibre cable, cutting off internet connection

Beavers used the cable to bolster their dam while TELUS technicians worked around the clock to repair the damage

  • Apr. 27, 2021 12:00 a.m.

It’s being called a very rare and “uniquely Canadian” disruption.

Residents of a rural B.C. town lost their internet this weekend after beavers chewed through a crucial fibre cable Saturday (April 24) at 4 a.m.

Internet, TV and cell phone service was down for 900 households in Tumbler Ridge, a northeastern municipality with a population of around 2,000.

A team of beavers that chewed through its fibre cable at multiple points, causing “extensive damage,” TELUS spokesperson Liz Sauvé told Black Press Media in an email.

WATCH: RCMP escort beaver across busy Chilliwack road (VIDEO)

Work crews dispatched to the area identified a creek from where it appears beavers dug to reach the underground cable, which was protected by a 4.5-inch thick conduit.

“It appears the beavers first chewed through the conduit before chewing through the cable,” Sauvé said. A photograph of the scene shows a hole, several feet deep and damaged cable ends.

Beavers used the chewed-off fibre to bolster their dam while technicians worked around the clock to repair the damage, Sauvé said.

Service was restored to the area Sunday at around 3:30 p.m.

READ MORE: Beaver waddles through downtown Vancouver (VIDEO)


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