Copper wire theft has surged by 78% so far this year, Bell says
Bell reports a 78% increase in copper wire theft across Canada, particularly in Ontario and New Brunswick, driven by rising metal prices. These thefts frequently cause service outages, posing significant risks to public safety and emergency service access.
Why it matters
The surge in infrastructure vandalism highlights the vulnerability of critical telecommunications networks to commodity price fluctuations.
The telecommunications company says it has recorded 993 incidents of copper theft and vandalism between January and June — a 78 per cent increase compared to the same time frame last year.
The bulk of the thefts took place in Ontario and New Brunswick, according to Bell, with thefts in those provinces accounting for about 85 per cent of the increased thefts.
Hamilton, Niagara and Milton had the most thefts in Ontario. But in New Brunswick, Bell says the problem was growing fastest, with a 235 per cent increase in thefts from 2025.
Thieves usually harvest copper wire from telephone and telecommunication poles, according to Bell's director of national network operations, David Joice. But they do it at night or in rural areas where there are fewer eyes to spot it.
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