Des Sources | Distribution system upgrade

Narration: The Des Sources project is a grid resilience project in the city of Dollard‑des‑Ormeaux.

Description: Two lineworkers in action in a residential neighborhood.

Narration: Historically, there's been a high number of outages in Dollard‑des‑Ormeaux because of the aging distribution system.

Description: Sébastien Massicotte, Manager – Maintenance and Operations, to camera.

Narration: We're carrying out resilience and reliability projects like the Des Sources project to achieve the objectives of our Action Plan 2035.

Description: A Hydro‑Québec vehicle drives through a residential neighbourhood. An outdoor sign reads We're working to ensure service reliability. The Des Sources project: Towards high‑reliaiblity solutions appears in the foreground, in front of an aerial view of a neighbourhood.

Narration: Our Action Plan 2035 aims to drastically reduce the number of outages.

Description: Maryse Dalpé, Senior Director – Operations and Maintenance – Distribution, to camera.

Narration: We targeted several actions that'll continue over the next few years.

Description: Several people wearing work equipment stand in a circle and seem to be talking about a project that's underway. A text that reads "Hydro‑Québec aims to reduce the number of outages by 35% over the next 7 to 10 years" appears.

Narration: To meet the challenges of the energy transition, we're going to upgrade the utility poles.

Description: A man standing in front of a screen uses an interactive map.

Narration: Adding composite poles will reinforce the grid.

Description: Aerial view of a residential area.

Narration: We're also going to add covered conductors to minimize the outages caused by vegetation.

Description: There are several scenes of workers installing composite poles.

Narration: This is a heavily wooded area.

Description: There are scenes featuring covered conductors and their uses.

Narration: A cleanup was definitely necessary. Trees had to be cut down.

Description: Jean‑Philippe Marcotte, Technician and Manager – Forestry – Arboriculture, to camera.

Narration: There were a lot of mature trees, big trees.

Description: A trimmer in a treetop uses a chain saw to cut branches. The text Vegetation control appears on the left.

Narration: The system was largely inaccessible. A lot of back lots.

Description: The cut branches fall to the ground.

Narration: I think the biggest challenge was the back lot work.

Description: Guy Desgagnés, Line Crew Chief – Distribution, Montréal, to camera.

Narration: A lot of people have been here for a long time.

Description: Guy Desgagnés walks into a backyard. There are tree trunk sections on the ground.

Narration: We have to take down fences and move sheds.

Description: Close‑up of felled trees.

Narration: That's the difference with new conductors.

Description: Sébastien Massicotte to camera.

Narration: They're sheathed. You can tell because they're light grey. And up there, you can see they're 3‑0.

Description: Guy Desgagnés points to a tangle of grey wires hanging from a pole.

Narration: That one's bare. There's no covering.

Description: He then points to wires higher up the pole.

Narration: With a bare wire, as soon as a branch falls on it—outage!

Description: Close‑up of the bare wires.

Narration: The covered conductors will reduce the number of customers affected by outages,

Description: Guy Desgagnés to camera.

Narration: right away, when the next weather event occurs.

Description: Workers are busy around a large trailer with rolls of covered conductors.

Narration: So when a branch falls on a covered conductor, it may not trigger anything, and the system will be protected.

Description: Line workers install the conductors.

Narration: We'll repair it, but it'll be work we plan.

Description: Jean‑Philippe Marcotte to camera.

Narration: We still had to do some work pruning and felling trees before the planting and line worker crews.

Description: An aerial view shows several workers busy in the backyards of a residential neighbourhood.

Narration: We did more than what we do as part of cyclical maintenance, that's for sure.

Description: Jean‑Philippe Marcotte looks at the work that was done to prune the trees growing near power lines.

Narration: It was a major project, so a lot of people were involved.

Description: Jean‑Philippe Marcotte to camera.

Narration: Line workers, pole planters and trimmers were all out there.

Description: Guy Desgagnés gets out of a Hydro‑Québec vehicle and greets a colleague.

Narration: And there was an aspect that was less visible: the community relations and customer service.

Description: Scenes show line workers, pole planters and trimmers at work.

Narration: We dispatched the Hydromobile

Description: Sébastien Massicotte to camera.

Narration: to meet with residents

Description: Two people stand in front of a blue and yellow van. There are chairs and visual material.

Narration: and answer their questions. How will the work improve things for them moving forward?

Description: A person walks up to them.

Narration: As line workers, we learned things from this new project. It's interesting. And it's pretty satisfying to improve the system.

Description: Hydro‑Québec representatives share information with the passerby.

Narration: You get away from the blank page and see everyone working together to achieve this common goal.

Description: Guy Desgagnés points to the power lines as he talks to a coworker.

Narration: That teamwork is something we can be proud of at Hydro‑Québec.

Description: About ten workers chat. They pose together, smiling and raising a finger. The group disperses as everyone gets to work.

Description: Maryse Dalpé to camera.

Description:Hydro‑Québec logo appears.