Residents who spotted (and heard) a low-flying helicopter on the North Shore east of Lynn Creek Wednesday (Sept. 14) were left guessing: Was it an emergency? Were they looking for someone? Was it related to the early morning shooting on Cloverley Street?
None of the above.
Although North Shore residents would most often associate the yellow Talon helicopter with North Shore Rescue, the company does all manner of other contract work including filming, firefighting, logistics delivery and LiDAR scanning.
That’s exactly what BC Hydro hired them to do this week. The LiDAR device attached to the bottom of the helicopter produces a 3D model of the earth’s surface that Hydro engineers then use to assess local infrastructure.
“We use LiDAR technology to capture information about our transmission towers, power lines, and other ground infrastructure to monitor, assess, and plan for the operation, safety and reliability of our system,” said BC Hydro spokesperson Simi Heer in an email. “For example, we can monitor our rights-of-way to see how vegetation is growing and if there are any threats to power reliability. We also use the data to analyze clearances (distance between our lines and the ground) to determine how much electric current can be transmitted through the lines.”
Heer said the low-level flights, which had approval from Transport Canada, were to be finished by end of day Wednesday.
The buzzing chopper, however, caused a bit of a tizzy in the area, with people coming out from their homes and offices to see what the commotion was. Some commented on social media that it spooked horses at the North Shore Equestrian Centre and that advance notice from BC Hydro would have been appreciated.
