“Power Outages Affect Tens of Thousands in Quebec and Ontario Due to Spring Storm”
The recent spring storm that swept through Quebec and Ontario on Thursday resulted in power outages for tens of thousands of customers, along with school closures and heavy snowfall in Montreal.
By 11 p.m., over 60,000 homes and businesses in Quebec were without electricity. Hydro-Québec attributed the outages to strong gusts and fallen tree branches damaging power lines, particularly affecting regions from Gatineau to Montreal’s suburbs. The Laurentians area north of Montreal experienced the highest number of outages, with over 23,000 customers affected.
Hydro-Québec deployed approximately 1,200 workers to address the outages, aiming to restore service to nearly all customers by Friday evening. At the peak of the storm, around 297,000 customers were impacted by outages, with significant damage reported, including the need for pole and equipment replacements.
The severe weather prompted several school boards in Montreal and surrounding areas to declare a snow day, while individual schools in southern Quebec closed due to power loss.
Despite the wintry conditions, some residents took the storm in stride, recognizing it as part of Canadian life. Isabelle Grégoire, a local tour guide in Old Montreal, remained unfazed, expecting the snow to melt within a few days.
According to Jean-Philippe Bégin, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, Montreal received approximately 25 centimeters of snow, with up to 35 centimeters in parts of the Eastern Townships region. The storm system was expected to move eastward, affecting central Quebec and eastern Gaspé, with additional heavy snowfall forecasted.
In Ontario, Hydro One reported around 8,800 customers still without power by 11 p.m., despite restoring service to over 300,000 customers since Tuesday evening. Special weather advisories extended from southwestern Ontario to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, warning of heavy, wet snowfall.
The inclement weather also disrupted air travel, leading to delays and cancellations of flights in Montreal and Toronto.
