Dog electrocuted at West Harbour GO Station in Hamilton

A dog was fatally electrocuted after stepping on a sewer grate near Hamilton’s West Harbour GO Station last month, Hamilton police say.

Police confirmed to CTV News that the incident happened just before 8 a.m. on Nov. 30.

“An exposed electrical wire, which had come loose from surrounding cement, was found to have made contact with the metal grate, causing it to become energized,” police said in an email.

Police said the loose wire supplied power to streetlights that are on GO Station property. They added that there was no evidence of tampering or criminal activity.

The electrical company disabled the power source temporarily and confirmed there is no further risk to the public and no additional affected areas.

In a statement to CTV News, Metrolinx said the West Harbour GO Station and its surrounding plaza remain safe for customers.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at GO West Harbour on November 30 and extend our sympathies to the owner on the loss of their pet,” Metrolinx said in an email. “Our early investigation has found that a damaged electric cable was in contact with a metal hand well cover which subsequently electrocuted the dog.”

The transit agency said that station platforms cannot conduct electricity if the bus loop lights are active and they are doing a full investigation to “understand how the electric cable came to be damaged in the first place.”

Metrolinx said a full inspection of the West Harbour Plaza confirmed the issue was isolated, and their teams identified no further safety risks.