High-voltage power lines stand in Beauharnois, Quebec, on January 27, 2025. The Canadian Press
Power outages spread across Central Canada and the Maritimes on Tuesday as strong winds swept through several regions. Quebec faced the worst impact, where hundreds of thousands of homes lost electricity during the peak of the storm.
At one point, more than 310,000 customers in Quebec lost power as wind speeds reached up to 90 kilometres per hour. The hardest-hit areas included the Laurentians, Lanaudiere, and Monteregie regions.
Crews Work to Restore Electricity
By mid-afternoon, outages in Quebec dropped to just over 190,000 customers. Repair crews worked across the province, but officials warned that some residents would remain without power for longer.
“It’s very likely that not everybody will be back on the grid today,” said Hydro-Quebec spokesperson Cendrix Bouchard.
Workers faced major damage across the network. Fallen trees, broken poles, and downed power lines slowed repair efforts. Around 1,500 workers moved across the province to fix about 1,400 damaged sites.
Winds Reach Dangerous Speeds
The storm began shortly after midnight and reached its strongest point around 8 a.m. Weather officials recorded wind gusts as high as 100 kilometres per hour in parts of the Montreal area.
“So that gives us an idea of the intensity of that storm,” said meteorologist Simon Legault.
He added that winds would ease later in the day, allowing repair teams to work more safely and quickly.
Weather Delays Spring Signs
The harsh weather also disrupted seasonal events. At a Montreal-area zoo, a black bear named Genie stayed inside her den instead of coming out of hibernation as planned.
“This morning, Genie showed no signs of wanting to leave her den, and we understand why!” the zoo said. “The gusts and icy wind they bring make us want to stay warm and cosy, wrapped in a cocoon of comfort.”
Forecasters also expect more winter conditions later this week, with about five centimetres of snow likely in southern Quebec.
“Winter is still here, and it’s not leaving soon,” Legault said.
Outages Spread Beyond Quebec
Strong winds also caused power cuts in other regions. In eastern Ontario, about 12,000 customers lost electricity, including around 6,300 in Ottawa.
Hydro officials said falling tree branches caused most of the outages.
“We encourage customers to continue to prepare for an extended outage,” the utility said.
In the Maritimes, thousands of people also lost power as strong winds and heavy rain moved through the region. Outages affected areas around Halifax in Nova Scotia, as well as Saint John and Fredericton in New Brunswick. About 1,000 customers in Prince Edward Island also lost electricity.
Wind warnings remained in place for much of Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick, where gusts could reach up to 110 kilometres per hour.
Recovery Efforts Continue
As conditions improve, crews continue to work to restore power and clear debris. Officials urge residents to stay prepared as repairs move forward.
The storm has shown how quickly strong winds can disrupt daily life across large parts of the country.
