143,000 customers without power in Quebec after ice storm
Posted April 8, 2023 4:17 am.
Last Updated April 8, 2023 7:02 pm.
Hydro-Quebec says the pace of restoring power to 143,000 customers will slow down now that crews have addressed the biggest outages caused by this week’s deadly ice storm.
Director of Energy System Control Maxime Nadeau says crews are now tackling the smaller, trickier outages, so the “rhythm of the restoration” won’t be as fast as it was on Friday.
Nadeau says he hopes almost everyone will have their lights on by Sunday, but it may take a little longer for some customers.
Most of Hydro Quebec’s customers without power are in Montreal, Monteregie, Laval and Outaouais.
Quebec Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon says grocery stores in affected regions will remain open Sunday, despite the Easter holiday.
In eastern Ontario, Hydro One says nearly 25,000 of its customers are still in the dark, while Hydro Ottawa says 5,000 customers were awaiting power as of Friday night.
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The storm is being blamed for three deaths, with the most recent a 75-year old man in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, Que. who died from carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in his garage.
Montreal’s health authority says dozens of people have suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning after using outdoor appliances inside during the blackout.
