Senators Urged by Telecoms to Enforce Tougher Penalties and Rules to Fight Copper Wire Theft

Canadian telecommunications companies are urging for stronger penalties to address copper wire theft, along with new regulations restricting vandals’ ability to sell the material without proof of its source.

During a session with the Senate’s transport and communications committee, representatives from Bell Canada and Telus Corp. highlighted the escalating issue, which has been disrupting emergency services and business operations.

Michele Austin, Bell’s vice-president of public affairs, reported a 78 percent increase in copper theft incidents last month compared to November 2023.

Austin suggested that amendments to the Criminal Code should specify offenses related to mischief or theft targeting telecom networks or infrastructure.

Brian Lakey, a Telus executive, proposed new fines and restrictions on the sale of untraceable melted-down copper to combat the problem.

Earlier in the week, the Senate committee heard from public safety and law enforcement officials who expressed challenges in addressing the issue due to inadequate infrastructure security and vandals’ ability to remove identifiers before selling the material to scrap yards.

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