Over 1,500 Hydro-Quebec customers still without power in Montreal
In Montreal, more than 1,500 Hydro-Quebec customers remain without power, and more than 2,500 were in the dark as of around 7:45 p.m Sunday. Of the service interruptions in Montreal, a handful were in the Parc-Extension area, where Daniella Zanetti witnessed a power line explosion that sparked a fire on Saturday night.
"At the moment of filming, the firemen were already there, and they were trying to find a way to access the alley since there was a lot of snow," said Zanetti. "We still don't have electricity."
According to Hydro-Quebec, the explosion likely occurred because a conductor melted under the strain of so much demand and then sagged onto a telecom wire.
A fire in a Montreal alleyway occurred Feb. 4, 2023 during a power outage in Parc-Extension that lasted over a day.
Quebecers broke the record for electricity demand over the cold snap that started Friday and continued through Saturday.
"There can always be faulty equipment, there can always be damage to equipment, and the equipment has a certain lifespan after which it's more likely to break down. So we're never going to completely get rid of any outages," said spokesperson Jonathan Côté.
The situation prompted the need for Hydro-Quebec to purchase power from Ontario and New York State.
With files from CTV's Max Harrold.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.