Blasting responsible for Yellowknife internet, phone outages: N.W.T. gov't

Blasting on a highway repair project outside Yellowknife appears to be responsible for a seven-hour internet and phone outage earlier this week.

The Northwest Territories Infrastructure Department is reviewing what happened with DTR First Nations Construction Corporation and Breakaway Drilling and Blasting Limited, a subcontractor working on repairs to Highway 3 west of Yellowknife.

Nancy Zimmerman, an Infrastructure Department spokeswoman, confirmedblasting was involved in damaging the fibre optic line outside Yellowknife Tuesday.

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A spokeswoman from the Workers Compensation and Safety Commission said the commission did not receive any reports Tuesday ofworker injuries.

Northwestel reported internet and phone service to much of Yellowknife and the surrounding region was affected at about 1 p.m Tuesday and was fully restored by 8:40 p.m. that night.

Northwestel has only said that a "third party" had damaged its fibre optic line and it is investigating what happened.

Matt Wallace, a company spokesman, declined to provide further details about how badly the line was damaged or how much it cost to repair.

"For operational reasons, we don't disclose damage to our infrastructure," Wallace said in an email.

But he said in general, Northwestel tries to make companies aware of the need to callahead before working near its fibre lines and Northwestel seeks reimbursement if it determines a third-party damaged the line.

No one from Breakaway Drilling and Blasting wasimmediately available for comment.