Who’s Responsible For Trees Near Power Lines In Lumsden?

It’s one of those questions that comes up every year, usually right after a windstorm, heavy snow, or when someone notices sparks a little closer to their front yard than they’d like.

If a tree on your property is near a power line in Lumsden, who’s actually responsible?

The short answer is both you and SaskPower, but in different ways.

SaskPower owns and maintains the power lines. They don’t own your tree or your yard, but they are responsible for keeping their electrical equipment safe. Because of that, SaskPower runs a province-wide vegetation management program designed to keep trees and branches far enough away from power lines to prevent outages, fires, and safety hazards.

If SaskPower determines that a tree or branch is too close to one of their lines, they have the authority to come onto the property and trim it. Homeowners are not expected to do this themselves. In fact, SaskPower strongly discourages anyone from trimming trees near power lines due to the serious safety risks involved. Their crews are trained to assess the situation and do the work safely.

You own the tree. SaskPower owns the wires. SaskPower is responsible for keeping the wires clear and safe. However, SaskPower doesn’t automatically know when a tree has grown too close to a line. If branches are creeping toward a wire and no one reports it, SaskPower may not become aware of the issue until someone calls or a problem occurs.

That’s why residents are encouraged to contact SaskPower if they notice branches touching or getting dangerously close to power lines. You can request a tree-trimming assessment, and SaskPower will send someone out to evaluate the situation. The trimming itself is typically done at no cost to the homeowner.

One thing to keep in mind is cleanup. While SaskPower trims the tree to remove the electrical hazard, homeowners are usually responsible for dealing with the trimmed branches afterward.

If a tree branch from a private yard touches a power line and starts a fire, SaskPower is responsible for securing the electrical system and addressing the hazard. Fire crews handle the fire response. After that, responsibility is determined based on the cause.

If SaskPower failed to maintain proper clearance around their lines, that responsibility falls on SaskPower. If a tree gradually grew into the line over time and the issue was never reported, responsibility may be shared and reviewed through insurance and fire investigation findings.

The practical takeaway for Lumsden residents is simple. If a tree is near a power line, don’t touch it, don’t trim it, and don’t guess. Call SaskPower and let them assess it properly. It keeps people safe, prevents outages, and avoids much bigger problems down the road.

Because the only thing worse than winter in Saskatchewan is winter in Saskatchewan with no power.