January 12, 2026

Hydro Pole Update – What You Need to Know

For decades, the hydro pole at the entrance to Lemonade Collective’s parking lot has been a challenge for drivers. While it’s not on our property, its location has resulted in vehicles frequently hitting it. Over the years, this has been a persistent issue for our members.

During the summer months, we’ve seen a noticeable reduction in incidents by placing the pylons around the pole, which help guide cars and make the pole more visible. However, collisions still occur throughout the year.

What We’ve Tried

  • Pylons and barriers

  • Wrapping the pole for visibility

  • Lights on the pole

  • Reflectors of various types

  • Informational signage

  • Guidance to members during onboarding to back into the parking lot whenever possible or park across the street if able

Unfortunately, despite these efforts, collisions still occur. That said, the pylons in the summer months have noticeably reduced incidents and continue to help guide traffic safely around the pole.

Our Advocacy Efforts

Over the past several months, we have actively pursued solutions beyond our lot:

  • Multiple outreach efforts to Hydro One and the Town of Blue Mountains

  • Direct meetings with Hydro One to explore options

  • Collaboration with the Town to investigate any feasible solution (Tim has been very helpful!)

Our most recent meeting with Hydro One took place this morning, where we once again reviewed all possibilities. While we had hoped to relocate the pole (or at the very least come up with a creative solution), the only way to do so would cost over $80,000—a cost that we cannot absorb at this time.

What You Can Do

  • Back into the parking lot whenever possible.

  • Park across the road if you’re able—we strongly encourage this whenever possible to give those who aren’t able the chance to park closer to the door.

  • Be mindful of the pole while driving—Hydro One has indicated that any damage is at the driver’s expense.

Looking Ahead

We’re planning to pave the parking lot this spring and hope that painting clear parking lines will make navigating the lot easier and help reduce incidents. We also plan to paint the hydro pole (as high as we can) to make it more visible and easier to see.

We want to assure our community that we fought hard for a solution, alongside the Town (thank you, Tim!). For now, the pole will remain in place, and we all need to work around it.