A significant service disruption is impacting CityWest customers throughout Northern British Columbia due to a deliberate act of vandalism targeting critical infrastructure.

Vandalism Causes Extensive Outage

On Monday, May 4th, 2026, at approximately 3:15 a.m., individuals intentionally cut through fiber optic lines, initiating the widespread outage. Telus, which shares fiber optic cables with CityWest, confirmed the incident. The primary motive appears to be the theft of copper cables.

Affected Communities

The outage affects a broad geographical area, stretching from Haida Gwaii in the west to Burns Lake in the east. Numerous communities are impacted, including:

  • Burns Lake
  • Dease Lake
  • Denny Island
  • Haida Gwaii
  • Hartley Bay
  • Hazelton
  • Houston
  • Iskut
  • Kitimat
  • Kitkatla
  • Kitwanga
  • Mackenzie
  • Prince Rupert
  • Ridley Island
  • Smithers
  • Terrace

    • All CityWest services – internet, television, and phone – are currently unavailable in these areas.

    Restoration Efforts Underway

    Telus is deploying specialized equipment and personnel to address the extensive damage. They project service restoration will occur sometime this afternoon. CityWest has also engaged a third-party repair team to expedite the process.

    Limited Landline Service & Emergency Roaming

    Partial landline service is available to some customers. Telus has activated emergency roaming agreements with another carrier, allowing customers to use their cell phones for essential communication.

    Investigation and Security Concerns

    Both companies are investigating the incident and assessing the full extent of the damage and repair costs. Law enforcement agencies are likely to be involved, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. This incident highlights the vulnerability of telecommunications networks to criminal activity and the importance of protecting critical infrastructure.