Some Montreal tenants have been without heat all week during bitter cold snap
Hydro-Quebec is asking people to cut back their energy consumption during the current bitter cold snap, but one building in Montreal has been without heat for almost a week causing some residents frustration.
Lynne Hostein lives on Sherbrooke St. East and is writing a novel about a woman who's struggling.
It's a subject that lately she knows all too well.
"The working title of the book that I'm working on is called 'For crying out loud,' and I really feel that sort of fits this situation. For crying out loud, get us some heat," she said.
Hostein said the heat went out last weekend.
A spokesperson for the building explained that a pipe linked to the gas furnace in the garage froze and burst, and that coupled with a power failure in the area set off a chain of events that has been difficult to repair.
"We've had teams all hands on deck working day and night including three trade vendors we work with working on-site working day and night to resolve this," said Hazelview Properties vice-president of communications Colleen Krempulec.
The common areas aren't affected and some apartments never lost heat, but for those that did, it's been a cold week.
"It's been difficult, especially at night," said Hostein. "Luckily, I have a down comforter and I just keep that over my head."
Hostein said the building gave out small space heaters to tenants, which she said didn't do much, adding that tenants were told to use their ovens as a heat source.
"Which I personally think is a fire hazard," she said.
Krempulec said they hope to have the heat on Friday in time for potentially record-breaking cold temperatures this weekend, and that back up plans are also in place.
"We have taken the initiative to procure 100 more space heaters in the event that we need to rely on that and get them out to residents," she said.
Hostein is not taking any chances and staying with a friend until the cold snap is over.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Eurovision Song Contest final kicks off after protests, backstage chaos and a contestant's expulsion
The final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest kicked off Saturday in the Swedish city of Malmo after days of protests and offstage drama that have tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.