A prolonged service disruption from Bell Canada has impacted a legion branch and local residents along a street in Bridgetown, N.S., leaving them without internet for 10 days. Ellen Haley, who works at the legion on Jeffrey Street, mentioned that all Bell customers on the street lost service on May 14. The outage has hindered the operation of essential services at the legion, such as debit machines, televisions, and video lottery terminals, resulting in a loss of revenue and potential customers.
Despite multiple attempts to reach Bell customer support for updates, Haley received inconsistent information regarding restoration timelines. Initially promised a technician visit on May 15, the deadline was extended past the Victoria Day weekend without resolution. Rumors circulated among residents that a utility box on the street had suffered damage, causing the outage.
In an emailed statement, Bell confirmed that the outage resulted from damage to local network infrastructure, specifically cables being disconnected. The company stated that approximately 20 customers were affected and assured that service would be restored by the end of the day.
Alva Bent, another resident on Jeffrey Street, expressed feelings of isolation and frustration due to the lack of internet access, which she deemed an essential service. Despite contacting Bell for repairs, she was told to be patient, leading to continued inconvenience. Bell later reported that service had been reinstated for 11 customers and assured the rest would be reconnected the following day.
However, when checked the next day, Haley confirmed that the legion still lacked internet connectivity. She emphasized the financial impact on their operations and highlighted the hardship faced by residents enduring the prolonged outage.
Overall, the community affected by the Bell service disruption expressed concerns over the delayed restoration of internet services, emphasizing the essential role of connectivity in their daily lives.