"Power irregularities" forced elective surgeries at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia to be cancelled for the day on Thursday.
The trouble arose during routine testing of the hospital's systems this morning, Northern Health said in a statement, and some power systems, including the elevators, were affected.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we will be cancelling elective surgical procedures for the day," Northern Health said.
The emergency room remained open, but people who do not have an emergency were asked to refrain from visiting the hospital for the day.
"Systems are being brought back online and tested to ensure they're working appropriately," Northern Health said in an update issued in the afternoon. "This will continue throughout the day."
Early indications were that a transfer switch - a device that allows the hospital to switch from BC Hydro to a generator as a power source - needs to be replaced.
"We test our generator system on a monthly basis to find issues such as this to avoid them happening during an emergency situation," Northern Health said.
