This project exemplified how an engaged field team can drive a major project from the ground up, rather than waiting for top-down planning. After ploughing fiber from North Battleford to Meadow Lake, the TeleControl team salvaged two sets of new ABB ETL powerline carriers, which were ideal for replacing SaskPower’s obsolete carriers on the Points North – Rabbit Lake Mine – Stoney Rapids link. Given that these remote sites were only accessible by airplane, work was meticulously planned over the next three years. Through hard work and dedication, we:

• Shipped refrigerator-sized cabinets to all three sites.
• Tested wavetraps for optimal carrier frequency during planned line outages.
• Tuned the salvaged ABB ETL carriers in the shop.
• Coordinated installation with Cameco’s maintenance team.
• Secured funding and engineering for final commissioning and replacement in 2015.

The project delivered significant benefits to SaskPower by reducing maintenance costs and mitigating reliability risks, including:

• Obsolete PLCs no longer supported by the manufacturer.
• Retired staff with expertise on the old PLCs.
• Pallets of spare parts and manuals wasting shop space.
• Expensive and slow service calls due to the remoteness of the sites.