Get to Know: Scott Rumbolt, Damien Jones, Andrew Toope and Slader Way
July 10, 2025
In every community that Hydro serves, our Powerline Technicians (PLT) are there to ensure the reliable delivery of electricity to homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. These highly-skilled men and women install and maintain our electrical grid across the province, often working in extreme conditions to keep the lights on for our customers.
In recognition of Lineworker Appreciation Day on July 10, we want to introduce you to four of Hydro’s incredible PLTs.
SCOTT RUMBOLT, Powerline Technician, TRO Labrador
Scott, who lives in Mary’s Harbour but works between Cartwright and L’Anse au Clair, has been a PLT with Hydro for 15 years.
Why did you become a PLT, what drew you to the work?
I previously worked away from home for periods of time and I wanted to secure a job that would allow me to be close to my family. Hydro provided me with a good work-life balance – at home I get to practice the culture I grew up around, and at work I am fortunate to have a good work crew.
What does a “normal” day look like for you?
Usually my day begins checking emails and scheduled jobs, such as service connections, framing and transformer changeouts, but there are many unscheduled jobs that keep our work exciting, such as power outages, infrastructure damage and weather-related events.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Always feeling the appreciation from customers – it means a lot to know you are thought about for the work you put in. I remember getting a call-out on Halloween night during an ice storm. In the middle of restoring the power, the children out trick-or-treating came to our crew and offered us candies from their bag. It is nice to see appreciation, from all ages.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
One of the most challenging parts would be accessibility to more remote areas – on the south coast there’s no cell service between communities which can make communication difficult at times. But unfavorable weather conditions are the most challenging thing I face.
Having a good supervisor and co-workers can turn a sometimes difficult job into something enjoyable. When working as a PLT, you are often faced with challenging and sometimes risky situations. Having a reliable and supportive crew is essential and we are lucky to have that here.
Scott rumbolt
DAMIEN JONES, Powerline Technician, TRO Labrador
Damien lives in L’Anse au Loup and works out of the local Hydro office. He’s been a PLT for 18 years with Hydro.
Why did you become a PLT, what drew you to the work?
So, in the summer of 2006, while I was working over in Halifax, my dad told me of some opportunities coming up in that field of work and that I might even be able to work at home. I applied to school that summer and got accepted. I didn’t know much about the PLT trade at that point but knew that it was a great job regardless of where I would get hired.
What does a “normal” day look like for you?
I think this job has many norms. It could go from fixing a broken guy wire to installing streetlights or connecting, or even repairing, a customer’s service. Most days it’s always something a little different and in a different place.
What’s the best thing about your job?
For me, being able to work outside. The conditions aren’t always the best but it’s something that also keeps the job a little different. A lot of times when the public can’t or shouldn’t be out, we get to see things from a different perspective. It’s also fulfilling to respond to outages and customer issues.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
I’d have to say responding and planning during emergency situations. It’s not always easy to keep a calm head when things get challenging. Most of those times, from my experience, has been during winter. Knowing customers are without power during the cold months is a little more stressful.
ANDREW TOOPE, Powerline Technician, TRO Island
Andrew lives in Port au Choix and works out of our office in Port Saunders. He’s been a PLT with Hydro for 14 years.
Why did you become a PLT, what drew you to the work?
I became a powerline technician because I like the outdoors. We spend a lot of time on snowmobile in the winter and ATVs in the summer and fall, travelling our transmission lines doing maintenance on them.
What does a “normal” day look like for you?
A normal day has quite a bit of range – from just being around our communities replacing street lights, to customer trouble calls, to doing maintenance in our substations and working on our transmission lines. It’s good that not many days are the same, it keeps it interesting.
What’s the best thing about your job?
The best thing about our job is when the power goes out on a stormy night and we fix the problem. It gives you a sense of pride in the work you do.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging thing is also getting those late-night callouts on a stormy night. You don’t really know what you are going to face when you locate the trouble, so you have to use good judgement and the skills you acquired to get the power back on safely.
SLADER WAY, Powerline Technician, TRO Island
Slader lives in Sandy Cove and works out of our Flower’s Cove office. He’s been a PLT for 14 years, and with Hydro for 13.
Why did you become a PLT, what drew you to the work?
While in high school I was searching for careers that would allow me to stay in the local area to grow and raise my family. Becoming a PLT allowed me to work with Hydro, which had an honorable reputation for a healthy work life balance.
What does a “normal” day look like for you?
The beginning of my workday starts at the line depot in Flower’s Cove where I meet up with my co-workers and we discuss a plan for the day. A normal work day could consist of disconnect- reconnect requests, repairing and replacing street lights, connecting new customers, and various inspections. Usually, a day doesn’t end without a trouble call somewhere in the mix. Working as a PLT with Hydro you always have to be open to a change in the initial game plan.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Working as a PLT allows me to be outside and enjoy the fresh air, as well as the other elements mother nature may throw our way.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Being a PLT means getting up and going out during power outages. As you may be aware power outages do not normally happen on nice sunny days, most of the time we are heading out into unfavorable weather. Having to leave the safety of my warm home and my family to go out and face those days and nights are some of the most challenging parts of the job.