Quebec is grappling with the aftermath of a significant ice storm that swept through the southern regions, leaving tens of thousands without electricity and transforming streets into hazardous ice rinks. As of Thursday afternoon, Hydro-Québec reported that over 130,000 clients remained without power, down from a peak of more than 200,000. The Montérégie region, situated south of Montreal, was the hardest-hit area, with around 51,000 customers affected.
Hydro-Québec Mobilises Crews to Restore Power
Premier François Legault addressed the media in Montreal, assuring the public that Hydro-Québec had deployed approximately 2,000 workers across the province to repair damaged distribution lines. He expressed empathy for those enduring prolonged outages, stating, “I understand that some people have been without power for several hours. It’s difficult, but at the same time, I can assure you that Hydro-Québec is doing everything possible to resolve this as quickly as possible.” The utility aims to restore most services by 11 p.m.
Hydro-Québec spokesperson Louis-Olivier Batty provided a silver lining, explaining that while the storm caused significant damage, it was largely repairable. “So that’s the good news: there’s a lot of damage, but it’s fairly easy to repair,” he said.
Emergency Services Report Lower Call Volumes
Despite the severe weather, local ambulance service Urgences-Santé reported fewer emergency calls than expected. Geneviève Poirier, the operations chief, noted that the volume of 911 calls did not increase compared to a typical day. “The directives bore fruit because people stayed home,” she remarked, highlighting the effectiveness of public advisories urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
Earlier warnings issued by meteorologists had raised concerns about the potential for widespread disruption, reminiscent of the catastrophic ice storm that struck southern Quebec and eastern Ontario in April 2023. During that event, over a million residents lost power, with Montreal experiencing ice accumulations of up to 30 millimetres.
Weather Update and Ongoing Conditions
As the storm subsided, Environment Canada lifted all freezing rain warnings for southwestern Quebec. A preliminary report indicated that regions such as Outaouais received between 20 to 30 mm of freezing rain, while Montreal saw 20 mm and Quebec City reported 10 to 15 mm.
In the Plateau Mont-Royal area, residents like Patrick Murphy shared their concerns. “I was worried I would lose electricity on Wednesday with a baby in the household, but we didn’t lose power. We got lucky,” he said. Another resident, Justine Kronovsek, expressed relief that her home remained powered, despite her child’s daycare closing due to flooding and outages. “We were expecting an outage but it was pretty smooth,” she said, reflecting on the anxiety stemming from past weather events.
Flight operations at Montreal and Quebec City airports were disrupted, with numerous cancellations on Wednesday; however, services returned to normal by Thursday. Classes were suspended across southern Quebec, and while some schools reopened, many remained closed for a second consecutive day.
Transportation and Transit Challenges
The icy conditions also severely impacted public transportation. The REM light-rail network faced disruptions, particularly on the segment between Brossard and Central Station. Service was halted due to ice accumulation on overhead power lines and only resumed gradually after extensive manual de-icing efforts began early Thursday morning.
In addition to Quebec, British Columbia’s south coast experienced its own weather challenges, with strong winds causing power outages for thousands of BC Hydro customers. Peak gusts were reported at 139 km/h in Hope, leading to downed trees and road closures, including the Coquihalla Highway.
Why it Matters
The impact of the recent ice storm in Quebec underscores the vulnerability of infrastructure to extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change. As communities face power outages and transportation disruptions, the resilience of local services and the preparedness of residents are put to the test. The ongoing recovery efforts highlight the importance of effective emergency response systems and public adherence to safety advisories, crucial in mitigating the effects of such natural disasters.
