
Phone, Internet lines repeatedly cut
By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Three times since Dec. 28.
That’s how often Bell Canada wires have been severed in Dresden, cutting off the utility’s phone and Internet service north of the Sydenham River.
And while the repeated interruptions have left folks reeling, they also highlight the town’s community spirit.
Francis Brown, co-owner of Brown’s Esso on George Street North said the cuts created a major headache for the gas station, but the Browns managed to overcome because they’re part of a small town.
“We had no Internet, we had no phone, we had no debit,” Brown explained. “It wasn’t ideal, but we were still able to operate.”
Brown said they simply trusted their regular customers who couldn’t pay by debit, and made up bills they could come and pay later.
“We lost a lot of money,” Brown said of the three incidents he attributes to vandalism. “I hope they catch them and they do something with him, not just catch and release.”
It was a similar story at nearby Ellis Motor Products. According to Rob Ellis, son of owner Bob Ellis, the lack of service interrupted the normal course of business, but because they know their customer base, they opted to trust people to come back and pay.
The disruption also created problems at Burn’s Restaurant. Staff member Andrew McDonald said the service breakdown heavily impacted the takeout aspect of the business – a mainstay for the popular eatery.
McDonald explained that owner Rob Burnett had to leave his personal cellphone at the business to keep things rolling.
He too has heard the interruption in service was the result of vandalism.
“I’ve heard that someone has been identified but I don’t know for sure,” McDonald told The Voice. “They either wanted the copper or they wanted to prove a point.”
A request for information about the Dresden Bell outages to the Chatham-Kent Police Service went unanswered as of press time.
Dresden BIA chair Christal Wills agreed the cut wires created a “very big inconvenience” for many.
“People just made do,” said the owner of McKellar’s Flowers, a downtown business that was not affected. “I feel for the ones who don’t have Internet.”
According to Wills, Bell technicians have become a familiar site at the base of the bridge on the river’s south side, working around the clock to restore power during the three disruptions.
When contacted by The Voice, a Bell Canada media relations spokesperson, said the cuts in service can be blamed on copper wire theft.
“Bell’s infrastructure in the Dresden area has unfortunately been hit by a few separate incidents of copper theft,” Patricia Garcia said in an email message, leading to Bell outages.
According to Garcia, copper theft continues to rise, noting Bell has experienced more than 1,700 security incidents to its network since Jan. 2022.
“We ask anyone who witnesses suspicious activity near telecom infrastructure to contact local law enforcement, she added.