(Image Credit: District of Clearwater/YouTube)

By Victor Kaisar

School's Out, So Is the Power

Clearwater Secondary closed after BC Hydro fails to alert school of planned power outage

Jan 8, 2026 | 11:48 AM

CLEARWATER, B.C. — (UPDATE 3:35 p.m.): Students at Clearwater Secondary had the day off Thursday (Jan. 8) as a planned power outage was unbeknownst to anyone at the school.

In a message to parents sent just before 10:00 a.m., Clearwater Secondary Principal Darren Coates said the school would be closed for the day as the power was “unexpectedly out.”

In a subsequent update half an hour later, Coates told parents that BC Hydro “made an error” when it mapped out the area of Clearwater that would be subject to a planned power outage Thursday and didn’t inform the school.

“I was in conversation with a BC Hydro representative, and they apologized for the mistake and the disruption it caused,” Coates said. “Students are all at home or on their way home on buses or via their regular way of getting to school (walking, driving).”

According to BC Hydro’s outage map, power has been out for 156 customers in Clearwater, including Clearwater Secondary, since 8:49 a.m., and power is estimated to be restored at 4:00 p.m. this evening.

Question of the Week

Has the violence in Mexico changed your opinion about travelling there for a vacation?

Feb 23, 2026

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: February 23, 2026

Feb 23, 2026

1000 WAYS TO HEAL

1000 WAYS TO HEAL: Understanding the Bully

Feb 23, 2026

In a statement to CFJC Today, BC Hydro said the planned outage was needed so crews could replace “multiple” power poles in Clearwater, each of which takes a few hours to complete.

“Our team used this opportunity to get as much work done as possible to avoid future outages for the area,” BC Hydro said.

The Crown Corporation told CFJC that it notified 154 customers who it thought would have been impacted, and that it “made an error and did not notify the [Kamloops-Thompson] School District so it could plan accordingly.”

“We have apologized to the district and would like to extend our apology to students and families who were impacted by our mistake,” BC Hydro added. “We recognize this was a significant inconvenience for the community and have updated our records to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Students at Clearwater Secondary won’t get an extended long weekend, as in his second letter to parents, Coates said school will be in session on Friday.

– With files from Aaron Schulze/CFJC Today