Cowie Hill is a fine neighbourhood.

There are lots of great people and community spirit. The tidy townhouses are organized into condominium corporations, which I think of as a kind of neighbourhood democracy.

One of the things first-time visitors don't usually notice, until it's pointed out to them, is that the neighbourhood is free of power poles and overhead power lines. That's because Cowie Hill's electrical system was buried underground when the neighbourhood was developed 30 years ago.

All of this gives Cowie Hill a unique look and feel.

Not only that, but the below-ground system means that Cowie Hill's power is virtually unaffected by hurricanes or blizzards or other less severe weather systems.

But that's all under threat from Nova Scotia Power.

The 30-year life of the buried wires is coming to an end. So far, NSP has refused to bear the cost of replacing the below-ground system. They say they're willing to pay for an above-ground system (with poles, wires, etc.), but they'll replace the below-ground system only if Cowie Hill homeowners pay for it. The total bill is estimated at over $2 million. It's a bill Cowie Hill homeowners cannot afford.

Several years of discussion between the Cowie Hill Condo Corporations and NSP have been fruitless. The only place left to go is the Utility & Review Board (UARB). The UARB is the government body that regulates NSP. The UARB is the only body with the power to tell NSP what it can and cannot do.

Hearings before the UARB were scheduled for the end of March, but they've now been postponed for at least a couple of months.

It looks like the Halifax Regional Municipality will weigh in on the side of Cowie Hill homeowners at the UARB hearings, and that will be a great asset. I'm told the city believes below-ground cables are a progressive and desirable feature of the urban landscape, and wants to support one of Halifax's earliest below-ground systems. Kudos to HRM on this one.

I've also offered to help in any way I can, whether using my background in law or on the political level.

Cowie Hill's below-ground power system was ahead of its time. The below-ground system is an integral part of Cowie Hill's townhouse design, which features narrow streets and relatively small front yards. An above-ground system will change Cowie Hill's look for the worse, and forever.

At a time when Hurricane Juan brings renewed interest in the desirability of below-ground systems, Nova Scotia Power wants to go "back to the future" by retrofitting an above-ground system.

Come on, Nova Scotia Power, it's time to re-think your position on this one. Cowie Hill can be, and should be, a model.