Ravaged utility boxes left in winter’s wake
Myriad wires dangling from one for cable, phone or internet create hazard for pedestrians
Utility boxes stuffed with streams of coloured wiring for cable, phone, Internet or all of the above have taken a beating this winter all over the GTA.
Some have been taken down by snow plows or vehicles that have careened into them off icy roads.
Then there are those that look like they’ve been tampered with by curious mischief-makers, a.k.a. vandals who have too much time on their hands.
In some cases, it’s a matter of winter frost and thaw that has shifted ground or cracked concrete, dislodging the boxes or bending them out of shape.
It’s hard to say what happened to a small brown column-shaped utility box on the west side of Dixie Rd., south of Golden Orchard Dr., in Mississauga.
Situated on a sloping boulevard next to the sidewalk, the front panel appears to have been torn off and cast aside further down the hill. The box is belching a thick twist of wiring that may be supplying phone, cable or Internet service. Customers must be experiencing wonky service as some of the wiring is exposed to the elements.
Someone has covered the exposed wires, wrapping them with orange plastic — a Band-Aid solution at best and not good enough. Those wires may be dangerous and pose a hazard to pedestrians. At the very least, it looks terrible.
Speaking of which, so does all the garbage strewn on the boulevard and caught in the fencing along the little stream in a nearby natural area in that residential and commercial neighbourhood. STATUS: Randy Stefanka, Mississauga’s supervisor of maintenance standards and permits, said utility boxes are located on municipal property but belong to various companies providing services. He’s sending inspectors to determine which utility owns the one on Dixie and will then advise that company its box must be fixed. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/ thefixer or call us at 416-869-4823. To read our blog, go to thestar.blogs.com/thefixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.