More than 150,000 Quebec homes still without power after weekend storm
There are 174,186 homes still without power after a violent storm that left a trail of destruction across southern Quebec.
That number is down about 25,000 homes since Monday morning, when nearly 200,000 households were in the dark -- which was less than half the total number that lost power at the height of the storm.
The Laurentians remain the most affected, with 95,562 households powerless as of 5 p.m., followed by Lanaudière at 55,870 and Outaouais at 35,706.
At a press conference in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, on Montreal's North Shore, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonatan Julien noted Hydro-Quebec hopes to quickly restore power to 80 per cent of homes affected by the storm.
He states the Crown corporation is entering an important phase of work, and it may take longer to reconnect some customers.
Hydro-Quebec could not say when all homes will regain power as at the height of the storm on Saturday, 550,000 customers experienced blackouts.
Sunday, the Crown corporation noted that more than 400 teams were on the ground working to restore power to as many homes as possible, "working nonstop," according to Julien.
"The storm caused a lot of damage in several regions, especially in the Laurentians and Outaouais," tweeted Premier François Legault.
"With Hydro-Quebec, we are making sure to reconnect all Quebecers as soon as possible. I thank the teams who are working hard on the ground."
Strong winds were recorded in several locations during the peak of the storm late Saturday afternoon -- 151 km/h on Lake Memphremagog, 96 km/h in Trois-Rivières and 90 km/h in Gatineau.
The Greater Montreal area was mostly spared as the storm moved from Ontario through to Outaouais, the Laurentians, Lanaudière and Mauricie to Capitale-Nationale late Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Townships and Chaudière-Appalaches were affected by another thunderstorm during the night.
The violent storms have left at least nine people dead.
FALLEN TREES AND DAMAGED BUILDINGS
In Quebec City, part of the roof of a 72-unit condo building was blown off due to the storm.
Residents were evacuated, and only those living on the lower floors have been able to return home due to water damage in the upper units, said Alexandre Lajoie with Quebec City's fire department.
In Lanaudière, two schools were damaged by the weather.
In a note to parents, the Centre de services scolaires des Samares says it is working with experts to assess the situations at Sainte-Bernadette School in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes and Saint-Alphonse School in Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez and will soon share its plan for a "safe return to class."
In Val-Morin, in the Laurentians, residents are being asked to keep their drinking water consumption to a minimum.
"Due to the power outage, the water supply from our pumping stations is slow," the municipality wrote on its Facebook page.
In Outaouais, several Fassett residents shared photos on social media of the fallen bell tower at the Saint-Fidèle church, which was built in 1918.
-- With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
CFIA monitoring for avian flu in Canadian dairy cattle after U.S. discoveries
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Vancouver firefighter in rehab at home after losing leg to flesh-eating infection overseas
A family trip took a frightening turn for Christopher Won when he was diagnosed with flesh-eating disease while in Hong Kong and now, after weeks of treatment overseas, the Vancouver firefighter is back home recovering.