{"id":6608,"date":"2015-06-04T12:06:44","date_gmt":"2015-06-04T19:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=6608"},"modified":"2015-06-11T20:53:19","modified_gmt":"2015-06-12T03:53:19","slug":"ontario-smart-meter-explodes-next-to-gas-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=6608","title":{"rendered":"Ontario smart meter explodes next to gas line"},"content":{"rendered":"<header><span style=\"font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;\">PAUL BRIAN, POSTMEDIA NETWORK &#8211; \u00a0<\/span>FIRST POSTED:\u00a0<time title=\"Wed Jun 03 2015 14:01:53 GMT-0700 (PDT)\" datetime=\"2015-06-03T21:01:53Z\">WEDNESDAY, JUNE 03, 2015 05:01 PM EDT<\/time><\/header>\n<div>\n<div id=\"storytext\">\n<figure><a href=\"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/1297708084306_ORIGINAL.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6611\" alt=\"1297708084306_ORIGINAL\" src=\"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/1297708084306_ORIGINAL.jpg\" width=\"403\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/1297708084306_ORIGINAL.jpg 403w, https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/1297708084306_ORIGINAL-232x300.jpg 232w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"photoCaption\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Jim Pulcine (left) and his wife Veronica Onyskiw look at the damage where their hydro smart meter was formerly attached to their home, June 3, 2015. (PAUL BRIAN\/Postmedia Network)<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside>\n<section>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">COLLINGWOOD, Ont. &#8211; Veronica Onyskiw woke up to the sound of her dog growling and a loud noise like a revving engine coming from outside her Collingwod, Ont., home early in the morning last Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">She found the source when she went outside \u2014 her hydro smart meter had become a &#8220;ball of fire.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8220;The meter is about three feet from the main gas line into the house,\u201d she said outside her home Wednesday. \u201cIf that wall had gone and then the car parked right beside it would&#8217;ve been very, very bad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Thousands of smart meters attached to homes across the province were ordered removed earlier this year after similarities were found between the structure of those meters and a similar model used in Saskatchewan that was implicated in several fires in that province.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Onyskiw&#8217;s meter was not among those considered a fire threat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Larry Irwin, the vice-president of the local utility \u2014 Collus PowerStream \u2014 said the company has never used those meters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Onyskiw said she has been told that the way in which the meter was installed on her home might be to blame.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If that&#8217;s the case, it&#8217;s just as much cause for alarm, she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In her case, firefighters put out the flames, and nobody was injured and there was no structural damage. But a happy ending might not be repeated for the next person.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8220;There are people all over this town with wood structures and they have these so-called smart meters attached to their houses,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I really think this is a very serious threat &#8230; I think it&#8217;s something people should know about.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Collus said it is investigating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Smart meters have been the target of criticism since the province ordered them installed on homes across Ontario several years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In a December report, the auditor general found the $1.9-billion rollout cost has not led to the expected savings to customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>A Hydro One sale will likely kill a planned review of the program.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/06\/03\/crisis-averted-as-ont-smart-meter-explodes-next-to-gas-line\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/06\/03\/crisis-averted-as-ont-smart-meter-explodes-next-to-gas-line<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/01\/22\/smart-meter-removal-a-no-brainer\">Smart meter removal just latest of Liberals&#8217; hydro disasters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/03\/02\/smart-meter-mess-hydro-quebec-will-ruin-me-says-client\">Smart-meter mess: &#8216;Hydro-Quebec will ruin me,&#8217; says client<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2014\/12\/20\/smart-meters-stupid-liberals\">Smart meters, stupid Liberals<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/02\/13\/smart-meter-malfunction-has-man-billed-for-neighbours-electricity\">Smart meter malfunction has man billed for neighbour&#8217;s electricity<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/05\/21\/no-smart-meter-follow-up-if-hydro-one-sold-auditor-general\">No Smart Meter follow up if Hydro One sold: Auditor general<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/06\/03\/budget-passing-sets-stage-for-hydro-one-sale\">Budget passing sets stage for Hydro One sale<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<header>\n<hgroup>\n<h2>Budget passing sets stage for Hydro One sale<\/h2>\n<\/hgroup>\n<address id=\"author\">BY\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/author\/antonella-artusoqp\" rel=\"author\">ANTONELLA ARTUSO<\/a>,\u00a0QUEEN&#8217;S PARK BUREAU CHIEF<\/address>\n<p>FIRST POSTED:\u00a0<time title=\"Wed Jun 03 2015 14:20:18 GMT-0700 (PDT)\" datetime=\"2015-06-03T21:20:18Z\">WEDNESDAY, JUNE 03, 2015 05:20 PM EDT\u00a0<\/time>| UPDATED:\u00a0<time title=\"Wed Jun 03 2015 14:29:41 GMT-0700 (PDT)\" datetime=\"2015-06-03T21:29:41Z\">WEDNESDAY, JUNE 03, 2015 05:29 PM EDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div>\n<div id=\"storytext\">\n<figure><figcaption id=\"photoCaption\"><strong>Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and her caucus turn their backs to show their disapproval after the Ontario Liberal government passes a budget bill on Wednesday June 3 2015 that paves the way for the partial sale of Hydro One.<\/strong> (Toronto Sun\/Antonella Artuso)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside>\n<section>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5em;\">TORONTO\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0The Kathleen Wynne government leaped the last major legislative hurdle in front of the controversial partial sell-off of Hydro One.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<div>\n<p>On Wednesday, the majority Liberal government passed the 2015 budget bill, which allows for the sale of up to 60% of the publicly owned entity, starting with a 15% stake.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe passage of this budget reaffirms the steps that will be taken in order to broaden the ownership of Hydro One and reinvest some of the proceeds into infrastructure,\u201d Finance Minister Charles Sousa said shortly after the vote. \u201cI\u2019m pleased that we\u2019re taking a long-term view &#8230; that builds our economy, creates jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As a sign of their strong opposition, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and her caucus stood with their backs turned to the government as they voted against the budget bill.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s the only premier in the history of this province that has to sell off our essential public asset, Hydro One, in order to invest in infrastructure and transportation,\u201d Horwath said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to continue to pressure the government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The NDP leader has scheduled a media conference for Thursday to demand a public referendum on Hydro One\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p>Horwath urged Ontarians to make their voices heard if they want to keep Hydro One in public hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would hope that this premier doesn\u2019t see herself as a dictator and instead sees herself as a leader of a province that is still a democracy,\u201d Horwath said. \u201cAnd that she actually listens to the people of Ontario.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Progressive Conservative finance critic Vic Fedeli said the Tories tried to show the Liberal government the \u201cfolly\u201d of a Hydro One fire sale, but it refused to entertain any of their legislative amendments to mitigate the damage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s all because they\u2019re broke,\u201d Fedeli said. \u201cWe have a $10.5-billion deficit and this is all about selling hydro to restore the coffers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the Wynne government has stated that $4 billion from the sale will be used to fund infrastructure improvements such as new transit or roads, the Tories argue that the manoeuvre is a \u201cshell game\u201d to balance the budget.<\/p>\n<p>The main effect of the budget on average Ontarians will be felt in hydro bills, as the government takes money out of the electricity system through the Hydro One deal, Fedeli said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, they\u2019re going to collect $100 million from a new beer tax, the aviation fuel tax will go up for those who can still afford to fly in Ontario,\u201d he said. \u201cWhere you\u2019ll really feel it is that your hydro bill is going to go up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a>antonella.artuso@sunmedia.ca<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/06\/03\/budget-passing-sets-stage-for-hydro-one-sale\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http:\/\/www.torontosun.com\/2015\/06\/03\/budget-passing-sets-stage-for-hydro-one-sale<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n<h2>Homeowner Warning on Smart Meters<\/h2>\n<div>Wednesday, June 10, 2015 6:35 AM\u00a0by\u00a0Kevin Bernard<\/div>\n<div>A Collingwood woman is warning homeowners about the dangers of Smart Meters.<\/div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca\/images\/news\/page_Smart_Meter_Collingwood_1_1.JPG\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<div>Picture courtesy of Veronica Onyskiw<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5em;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>A Collingwood woman is warning homeowners about the dangers of Smart Meters.<\/p>\n<p>Veronica Onyskiw lived through a frightening night on May 31st when the Smart Meter on her home caught fire and melted.<\/p>\n<p>She heard a number of pops that sounded like fireworks going off, and saw flames shooting out of the Hydro meter at the side of her house.<\/p>\n<p>Onyskiw tells Bayshore Broadcasting news if her home was made of wood instead of brick the result could have been horrific, because a Natural gas meter was only about 3 feet away.<\/p>\n<p>She says Collus Powerstream replaced the Smart Meter with a new one within 48 hours, telling her there was no option for any other type of meter.<\/p>\n<p>A company official told her that the problem was not the Smart Meter but perhaps the installation.<\/p>\n<p>He told her the receptacle on the home was not designed for a digital meter.<\/p>\n<p>Onyskiw says it was Collus who installed the Meter and the company should have told her in 2013 that a different base was needed.<\/p>\n<p>When the homeowner told the Collus employee that, he responded people don&#8217;t want to hear they need a new receptacle on their home.<\/p>\n<p>Onyskiw has been told the Smart Meter that caught fire is made by the same company that had issues with Meters out west, although they are different models.<\/p>\n<p>She wonders how many more are ready to burst into flames around Ontario.<\/p>\n<p>The Collingwood woman has had wiring replaced by an electrician out to the meter and says is unclear if all the bricks will have to be replaced on one side of the house.<\/p>\n<p>Onyskiw also hasn&#8217;t heard if the maker of the Smart Meter or Collus Powerstream will pay for the damage.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca\/news_item.php?NewsID=75582\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http:\/\/www.bayshorebroadcasting.ca\/news_item.php?NewsID=75582<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>RADIO : \u00a0Smart Meters are EXPLODING! Homeowner Veronica Onyskiw discusses &#8211; Jun 4th 2015<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Collingwood and\u00a0Shelburne\u00a0Ontario Fires<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/am640\/mcarthursmart-meters-are-exploding-homeowner-veronica-onyskiw-discusses-jun-4th-2015\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/am640\/mcarthursmart-meters-are-exploding-homeowner-veronica-onyskiw-discusses-jun-4th-2015\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div data-mode=\"normal\" data-oembed=\"1\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-dspd3batctm\" style=\"max-width:900px;\" class=\"arve\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div style=\"aspect-ratio:4\/3\" class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:75.000000%\"><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<iframe allow=\"accelerometer &apos;none&apos;;autoplay &apos;none&apos;;bluetooth &apos;none&apos;;browsing-topics &apos;none&apos;;camera &apos;none&apos;;clipboard-read &apos;none&apos;;clipboard-write;display-capture &apos;none&apos;;encrypted-media &apos;none&apos;;gamepad &apos;none&apos;;geolocation &apos;none&apos;;gyroscope &apos;none&apos;;hid &apos;none&apos;;identity-credentials-get &apos;none&apos;;idle-detection &apos;none&apos;;keyboard-map &apos;none&apos;;local-fonts;magnetometer &apos;none&apos;;microphone &apos;none&apos;;midi &apos;none&apos;;otp-credentials &apos;none&apos;;payment &apos;none&apos;;picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create &apos;none&apos;;publickey-credentials-get &apos;none&apos;;screen-wake-lock &apos;none&apos;;serial &apos;none&apos;;summarizer &apos;none&apos;;sync-xhr;usb &apos;none&apos;;web-share;window-management &apos;none&apos;;xr-spatial-tracking &apos;none&apos;;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" credentialless data-arve=\"arve-youtube-dspd3batctm\" data-lenis-prevent=\"\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/dSPd3BatctM?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"675\" loading=\"lazy\" name=\"\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/dSPd3BatctM?feature=oembed&#038;iv_load_policy=3&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;rel=0&#038;autohide=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autoplay=0\" title=\"\" width=\"900\"><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"http:\\\/\\\/schema.org\\\/\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/emrabc.ca\\\/?p=6608#arve-youtube-dspd3batctm\",\"@type\":\"VideoObject\",\"embedURL\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\\\/embed\\\/dSPd3BatctM?feature=oembed&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&autohide=1&playsinline=0&autoplay=0\"}<\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PAUL BRIAN, POSTMEDIA NETWORK &#8211; \u00a0FIRST POSTED:\u00a0WEDNESDAY, JUNE 03, 2015 05:01 PM EDT Jim Pulcine (left) and his wife Veronica Onyskiw look at the damage where their hydro smart meter was formerly attached to their home, June 3, 2015. (PAUL BRIAN\/Postmedia Network) COLLINGWOOD, Ont. &#8211; Veronica Onyskiw woke up to the sound of her dog [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[269,188,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collingwod","category-hydro-one","category-ontario"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6608"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6614,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6608\/revisions\/6614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}