As I peruse this composition, I can discern that Hydro-Québec’s hardworking crews are relentlessly toiling throughout the lengthy weekend to reinstate the electricity supply to roughly 300,000 customers who are still bereft of power, as a result of the deleterious ice storm that wreaked havoc in Quebec last Wednesday. The storm resulted in a surfeit of power outages for over a million people, and unfortunately, two individuals have perished as a result. Nonetheless, Hydro-Québec has, since Thursday morning, reestablished power to over 825,000 customers, but it is feasible that some may still remain without power till Monday, as about 1,500 workers continue to toil fervently on restoring power lines.
According to Maxime Nadeau, who is the director of energy system control at Hydro-Québec, Montreal is their topmost priority, and they have imported teams from other regions and retained private contractors to aid in the restoration of power. However, certain power lines have sustained more damage than others and may take a protracted period to repair, thus resulting in some people remaining benighted throughout the Easter weekend. The power outages were mainly caused by fallen trees.
Despite this setback, Nadeau remains sanguine and believes that the outages will not persist for more than a few days, and some households may witness temporary power restoration before losing it again. Pierre Fitzgibbon, who is the minister of economy, innovation, and energy, has pointed out that the outages were not caused by Hydro-Québec equipment failures and has urged Quebecers to exercise caution when using gas-powered appliances indoors to avert the peril of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The storm has also led to two fatalities: one in Les Coteaux when a man succumbed while endeavoring to cut down tree branches, and another in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac when a septuagenarian died after using a generator in his garage. In addition, around 70 individuals have received medical treatment in hospitals for carbon monoxide poisoning, making it imperative for people to be wary when using gas-powered appliances indoors.
Montreal’s public security workers have gone door to door in areas that are still suffering from power outages, and temporary shelters have been established to provide warmth and a place to charge devices. Philippe Sabourin, a city of Montreal spokesperson, has confirmed that most of the main roads have been cleared, but several city streets are still strewn with fallen branches. The city has decided to defer issuing tickets until Saturday morning for cars parked in areas with spring cleaning restrictions and reserved parking restrictions.
In summary, Hydro-Québec is assiduously working to restore power to customers who are still grappling with power outages, following Wednesday’s devastating ice storm. While some may continue to endure the lack of electricity till Monday, the company is optimistic that most households will have their power reinstated by the end of the weekend. Meanwhile, officials are enjoining people to exercise caution when using gas-powered appliances indoors and to refrain from visiting parks, which are closed due to the storm.
