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
'Terrifying': Manitoba resident speaks on wildfire and evacuation
As a pair of wildfires burn near Flin Flon and The Pas, a number of Manitobans are being told to evacuate their homes.
Steve Buscemi punched in the face while walking in N.Y.C.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
Canucks' Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosscheck on Oilers' McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been given the highest possible fine under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
DEVELOPING Michael Cohen takes the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Jerry Seinfeld speech prompts pro-Palestinian demonstration at U.S. university graduation ceremony
A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement in North Carolina Sunday, with about 30 of the 7,000 students leaving their seats and chanting "free Palestine" amid a mix of boos and cheers.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
opinion Harry and Meghan's Nigerian adventure: Traditional attire to warm welcomes
For her latest column on CTVNews.ca, royal commentator Afua Hagan writes about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria, calling it a 'deeply meaningful campaign' that was about aligning their ongoing efforts to foster mental-health awareness and promoting the Invictus Games.