Mysterious broken utility box could host live-wire hazard
On a recent visit to Mississauga, a broken, tilted, brown metal utility box on the boulevard on Dundas St. E. was hard to miss. The mystery cabinet is bashed in on one side. Its door has been broken off and is nowhere to be found. It’s possible it was the victim of an errant snowplow or was struck by a vehicle this past winter. It’s hard to say what it was meant for — possibly to house hydro, phone or cable wires — as there are no labels on the interior or exterior to identify the owner. Inside, we found a mishmash of wiring, some of it twisted and stuffed into the ground, as there’s no bottom in the box. The wiring may even still be attached to something, but the Fixer wasn’t about to fool around and find out. Those wires could be live. The box is perched on its bottom back edge, revealing a deep, gaping hole underneath. It needs to be reclaimed by whatever utility it belongs to and removed, along with the wires.
The hole also needs to be filled in. It’s not only an eyesore, but a potential hazard.
Few pedestrians use the sidewalk along the south side of this otherwise busy stretch of Dundas St. E., aside from people making their way to the bus shelter at the entrance to the plaza just west of Dixie Rd. Those that did walk by during a recent site visit questioned what the box was for and why it was there at all, when it was clearly damaged.
More creative passersby seem to have been using it as a garbage receptacle for coffee cups, plastic water bottles and cigarette butts. Status: Catherine Monast, from the city of Mississauga’s communication division, advised that staff will be in contact with the appropriate utility and will report back to the Fixer. We’ll let you know what happens. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/thefixer or call us at 416869-4823. To read our blog, go to thestar.blogs.com/thefixer. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.