/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/news/gta/the-fixer/2020/05/17/whose-guy-wire-is-it-anyway-misplaced-utility-pole-support-a-head-scratcher/fixer_guy_wire.jpg)
Guy wires are essential for keeping wire-laden utility poles standing straight and strong, but some are less obtrusive than others.
Wires strung between utility poles create a tremendous pull, due to the tension in them that keeps them from sagging, along with occasional extra weight from natural sources like ice or snow buildup.
The pull is enough that some poles need help to keep them from leaning in the direction of the pull, which is what a guy wire does. It is fastened to the opposite side of the pole and acts as a counterweight.
Most people don’t notice them unless they happen to walk into one, which is why they’re wrapped in plastic – usually yellow – that makes them more visible and protects people from the worst of a collision.
It’s also why guy wires and usually anchored to the ground in the boulevard, where people are a lot less likely to bounce off them.
Which makes the placement of a guy wire in the middle of the sidewalk at the northeast corner of Church and Carlton Streets all the more puzzling.
Evan Roberts emailed me about it, saying that he knows from reading Fixer columns “how much you love wires and other objects in peoples’ way.”
He described the location of the wire as a “head scratcher,” considering that a new sidewalk was recently built at the corner, but not much thought was given to how it would impact pedestrians.
The wire has been anchored in the same spot for many years, next to a transit shelter on the sidewalk, said Roberts, until the shelter was taken away to make room for condo construction on the same corner.
Its positioning, relative to the shelter, made it less likely that people would walk into with the wire, but with the shelter gone it’s smack dab in the middle of the newly poured sidewalk, he said.
“So to remove it they’ll have to tear up the new sidewalk, or they could put a nice flower box around it, or an octagon bench. Anyone with visual impairment will not enjoy walking into the wire, (nor) will nighttime walkers.”
STATUS: The vast majority of utility poles in the city are owned by Toronto Hydro, but this one is strung with lines that are part of the overhead wiring for TTC streetcars. It also has traffic signals and signs attached to it, as well as a street light, making it multi-purpose. So, whose pole is it? I started with Toronto Hydro and got this reply from spokesperson Russell Baker: “I can confirm that the guy wire at the northeast corner of Church and Carlton is not owned by Toronto Hydro. In fact, most of our equipment – including the primary cable – is underground in this neighbourhood.” I tried transportation services, which is still checking, but it’s not likely to be theirs. That leaves the TTC, which has its own network of poles that support overhead streetcar wires. I’m still waiting to hear from the TTC.
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