THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
A spring storm struck Quebec and Ontario on Thursday, causing widespread power outages, school closures, and heavy snowfall in Montreal. Over 60,000 homes and businesses in Quebec lost power, with outages stretching from Gatineau to Montreal's suburbs due to strong winds and fallen trees damaging power lines.
Hydro-Québec attributed the outages to weakened vegetation from heavy snow and gusty winds, deploying approximately 1,200 workers to repair infrastructure. The Laurentians region experienced the most significant outages, affecting more than 23,000 customers.
Hydro-Québec anticipated restoring service to most customers by Friday evening, except for a few complex cases. At the peak of the storm, around 297,000 customers were affected, with significant damage observed, including poles and equipment requiring replacement.
The storm prompted several school boards in Montreal and surrounding areas to declare a snow day, while some individual schools closed due to power outages. Despite the disruption, residents like Isabelle Grégoire in Old Montreal remained resilient, noting that such weather is part of life in Canada.
Meteorologist Jean-Philippe Bégin from Environment Canada reported snowfall of up to 25 centimeters in Montreal and 35 centimeters in parts of the Eastern Townships. The storm was expected to move eastward, impacting regions in central Quebec and eastern Gaspé.
The Charlevoix region, Lower St-Lawrence, and eastern Gaspé were forecasted to receive similar snowfalls, with up to 40 centimeters expected in the Gaspé area. Strong winds persisted throughout Thursday, with gusts reaching nearly 60 kilometers per hour and even stronger near Quebec City.
In Ontario, Hydro One reported approximately 8,800 customers without power by 11 p.m., despite having restored power to over 300,000 customers since Tuesday evening. Special advisories were issued for areas from southwestern Ontario to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where heavy, wet snowfall was anticipated.
The inclement weather led to delays and cancellations of some flights in Montreal and Toronto, further disrupting travel plans for residents and visitors alike.
