With recent copper wire thefts affecting many Edmonton neighbourhoods, the impacts have trickled down to local watering holes that have seen their VLTs shutdown as a result. P.M. Lounge in the west end hasn’t had phone service for more than a week, and about half of their VLTs have stopped working. “It’s really disappointing because we have a lot of phone-in orders for pickup, and the VLTs are a huge part of our business,” said owner Rajaa Berra. Berra reached out to Telus to troubleshoot the problem, and was told the outages were a result of people breaking into electrical boxes on Stony Plain Road and stealing the copper wire for resale. The owner said the outage brings him back to “COVID days.” “It was just kind of depressing. The phone isn’t ringing, and numbers-wise, we depend a lot on the profit we get from VLTs and from our pickup orders,” explained Berra. “We’re losing probably $500 a day.” Server Sheila Beaudoin said she saw at least 15 people walk in and then turn around because the VLTs weren’t operating. “It sucks because they just end up leaving and going to the Continental Inn or Rendezvous Pub down the road,” said Beaudoin. Although those pubs are near P.M. Lounge, they aren’t on the same grid and weren’t impacted by the outage. In Alberta, scrap copper wire sells from anywhere between $4.19 to $15.60 per kilogram, depending on the grade and purity. On top of construction woes, Brado’s Pizza on Stony Plain Road is also feeling strained as the business has also been disconnected for over a week. “We’re trying to run a business, and we’re already dealing with a lot of changes, and these VLTs keep us going,” said manager Shannon Culligan. “A lot of the revenue keeps the staff paid, the power on. Without the VLTs, we’re losing half of our revenue.” Culligan said initially, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) had no answers. “They’re doing the best they can, but their hands are just as tied as ours. It’s basically on Telus right now … I understand it’s a lot of wiring, but it’s been nine to 10 days now.” Culligan said she was told they might not have connection until Dec. 7. “That’s going to kill us. We can’t go that long.” Telus said cut cables along 158 Street and Stony Plain Road have disrupted home phone, internet and TV services for some 100 customers in the area. “We expect all services to be fully restored by the end of the day Tuesday, with connectivity gradually returning throughout the weekend and Monday,” said a statement from Telus Thursday afternoon, adding it is working with police to investigate the thefts. Edmonton police say they have made 40 arrests in copper wire-related crimes and have received more than 420 reports of copper wire thefts. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti
