A Senate committee is calling for tougher criminal penalties for copper theft, warning current laws treat serious infrastructure sabotage as little more than petty crime.In a new report, the Senate transport and communications committee said existing provisions under the Criminal Code fail to reflect the real-world damage caused when thieves strip copper from telecommunications and power networks.“The committee is of the opinion that copper theft is a threat to Canada’s critical infrastructure and the reliability of its telecommunications and electricity networks,” the report stated, adding such crimes can trigger widespread outages with risks to public health and safety.Blacklock's Reporter said at present, copper theft is typically prosecuted as theft under $5,000, a classification the committee says is outdated given the scale of disruption involved. The report recommends amending the Criminal Code to impose harsher penalties for offences involving critical infrastructure.Industry leaders told the committee stronger laws are needed to deter repeat offenders. Telus vice-president Brian Lakey pointed to U.S. jurisdictions like Florida, where copper theft can carry prison sentences of up to 15 years.“Copper theft is considered as petty theft today,” Lakey testified. “Stronger penalties would act as a deterrent.”.He added that since 2021, copper theft incidents have disrupted more than 200 million minutes of service for over 170,000 Telus customers, with cities including Mission, Abbotsford and Calgary repeatedly targeted.Bell Canada vice-president Michele Austin said the problem is escalating, citing an 89% spike in incidents in a single year. She highlighted hotspots in New Brunswick, including areas along the Trans-Canada Hwy. near Fredericton and Oromocto, as well as Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.Business groups are also raising alarms over the economic toll. Submissions from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and the Surrey Board of Trade warned outages caused by copper theft can last from eight to 12 hours or even days, disrupting commerce and public services.The Calgary Chamber estimated a small business generating $500,000 in annual revenue can lose about $240 per hour during service interruptions.“Copper theft is a growing problem across the country with thieves targeting critical infrastructure for short term monetary gain,” the Surrey Board of Trade wrote, adding the crimes not only disrupt communications but also pose risks to public safety.Parliament has previously considered legislation to crack down on copper theft, including Conservative Bill C-639 and NDP Bill C-609, though both measures died on the order paper in 2015.
