Hydro-Quebec still working to restore power after intense weekend storm
Hydro-Quebec is still working to restore power to nearly 124,000 homes following a weekend storm that left hundreds of thousands of people in the dark.
As of Tuesday afternoon, most of the outages remain in the Laurentians with just under 70,000 customers without power, compared to 28,000 in Lanaudière and 24,000 in Outaouais.
Quebec Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonatan Julien said Monday that the Crown corporation is now working on its most complicated cases -- such as fallen wires -- and it may take longer to reconnect some customers.
"The majority of customers should regain service today," stated Hydro-Quebec's Twitter account Tuesday, which estimates that "there will remain around 30,000 customers after tomorrow for whom the work could take longer."
Some 700 teams of workers are on the ground, including contractors who have come to assist Hydro-Quebec crews.
It's a complicated task for Hydro-Quebec, as the line of severe storms struck a territory 300 kilometres long by 100 kilometres wide, stretching from Gatineau to Quebec City.
Strong winds were recorded in several locations during the storm -- 151 km/h on Lake Memphremagog, 96 km/h in Trois-Rivières and 90 km/h in Gatineau.
"The infrastructure cannot hold" under winds of that velocity, according to vice-president of operations and maintenance at Hydro-Quebec, Régis Tellier, noting this storm is unlike past storms in the region -- even ice storms.
"We're used to seeing branches, pieces of trees, but this is really trunks, 50, 60 centimetres long," he said, adding that the wreckage is also complicating access to outage sites as roads are still blocked.
At the height of the storm on Saturday, 550,000 homes lost power.
At least 10 people have been confirmed dead as communities work to clean up the destruction left behind.
Hydro-Quebec is warning people who spot electrical wires on the ground not to approach them and call 911.
Disaster service centres are open in areas that were impacted by the severe storms.
-- with files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
William Nylander stood in a solemn visitors locker room at TD Garden just before midnight. The Maple Leafs had battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss. Nylander's message was emphatic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.