SUDBURY -- Hydro One is advising residents in the Municipality of Powassan, the Townships of Nipissing, Chisholm and Machar, and Loring, Port Loring and District of a planned power outage on Saturday, May 15.

In a news release, the utility said the outage is required for crews to safely perform scheduled maintenance and complete upgrades in the area.

"For the safety of our crews, equipment must be de-energized to complete the work," the release said. "To reduce service disruptions and the need for future outages, we are bundling our work as much as possible to enhance power reliability and replace aging infrastructure."

The outage will begin and 6:30 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. About 7,000 customers in the following areas will be affected: Powassan, South Himsworth, McConkey, Nipissing, Lount, South River, Machar, Chisholm, Patterson, North Himsworth, East Mills, Trout Creek, Strong, Pringle, Laurier, Hardy, Wilson, Blair and East Ferris.

Hydro pole replacement

The work includes including replacing aging infrastructure at the Powassan Distribution Station along with three poles in the area, and trimming hazardous vegetation.

"We understand this is a challenging time to be without power and we would like to thank our customers for their patience during this time," Hydro One said. "Additional crews and equipment are being brought in to complete as much local area work as possible during this outage."

Tips on how to deal with a power outage:

• Make sure your appliances, such as the stove, are in the off position.

• Make sure your cellphone and extended battery packs are fully charged.

• Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Use a cooler with ice for items you’ll need during the planned outage.

• Consider filling jugs of water to use for drinking and cooking.

• If you plan to use a generator, remember to use it in a dry area outdoors away from any open windows, doors and vents. Visit the Electrical Safety Authority at esasafe.com for more tips.

• If you have a bathtub, consider filling it with water before the planned outage begins. You can use the water and a bucket to fill your toilet tank to be able to flush.

"In order to ensure our crews can continue working for all Ontarians, we ask that customers respect physical distancing," the release said.