On the morning of Wednesday, November 5, 2025, nearly 600 residents in Toronto’s Moss Park neighborhood experienced a sudden power outage. This disruption was caused by an underground cable fault due to a third-party dig-in at a nearby construction site.
The fault was not planned. Construction work unrelated to Toronto Hydro accidentally damaged the utility’s underground infrastructure, triggering an unexpected blackout.
Toronto Hydro swiftly mobilized repair teams and resources to address the outage. The work was described as “complex and time-consuming” because locating and repairing the damaged underground cable in a dense urban area involved careful coordination to minimize impact on residents and businesses.
“Complex and time-consuming,” Toronto Hydro’s situation required precise handling in a bustling urban environment.
Initially, the power restoration was targeted for 8:30 a.m., but as the repair progressed, the timeline shifted with reconnection expected around 11:00 a.m.
This incident highlights the challenges that utility companies face managing critical infrastructure amid ongoing city construction and activities.
Author’s summary: Toronto Hydro’s quick action to restore power after a construction-caused underground cable fault illustrates the complexity of maintaining urban infrastructure during unexpected outages.