In the Laurentians, nearly 1,300 customers were still without power on Tuesday evening. The Press went to meet them.
The sun had just set when Francine Juillet and Kevin Parker, seated next to their hearth, ended their fifth day without electricity. “We can’t wait for the electricity to come back, but there is worse than that. We are not in distress, ”says Mme July. By their side, their cat was warming himself by strolling near the gently crackling hearth.
For the past five days, the couple have been using the generator for lighting, heating their house with the wood-burning fireplace, buying gallons of water in the nearest village and showering at friends’ houses. “These are just small inconveniences in our daily life, but it’s not that bad. We are not to be pitied at all, we are not dying,” exclaims Mr. Parker.
On the shores of Lac Lees, in the MRC d’Argenteuil, in the Laurentians, 18 homes have been without electricity since December 23. From one house to another, morale is good. The key to success: mutual support. “We make sure everyone is okay. We contact each other regularly,” says M.me July.
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Kevin Parker and Francine July
The couple took their 79-year-old neighbor under their wing. Every morning, Mr. Parker fills the lady’s generator with 20 liters of gasoline, which gives her enough electricity for eight hours. “Sometimes she asks me to come and put it on around 4 p.m. so she can listen to her TV shows,” he says with a smile.
The lack of electricity did not prevent the family from having “a super nice Christmas”, underlines Mme July. “The whole family came, because no one had electricity. There were ten of us sleeping here,” she said. Their two daughters and all their grandchildren were there. “We slid and we snowmobile,” the woman said, smiling.
An intimate Christmas
In the house next door, Louise Michaud and Jean-Marie Neas were getting ready to finish preparing supper. “My husband is 81 years old and he works very hard. We have two generators and the wood stove. He often goes to look for wood in the cellar,” says Mr.me Michaud.
She pauses briefly to check the cooking of her meat pie, then resumes. “We are lucky compared to others, like those who live in apartments and who cannot have a generator. »
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Louise Michaud and Jean-Marie Neas
The couple expects to have to spend a few more days without electricity. But he’s not worried. “We have a lot of food, we have two freezers, we have Netflix to watch movies and we tell ourselves that at least we have a car if we want to go out,” she said.
The blackout, however, forced them to spend a quiet Christmas, without their families. “Only the two together,” says M.me Michaud, adding that they were going to eat turkey later.
“I was trapped”
About fifteen kilometers away, Marco, who lives on the edge of Lac des Pins, has also been without electricity since December 23. The man has no time to be bored. “I have a generator, but it’s not enough to heat the house, so I use two fireplaces,” he says. He gets up three times a night to put wood in it.
He uses the generator to power his freezer, fridge and get some light. “I have game. I don’t want to lose everything! he exclaims.
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHÉ, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Sparks, Marco’s dog, walks around the generator.
One thing is certain, its holiday season is very different from recent years. “I was supposed to receive all my family, but no one came,” he says. The only road leading to his home was completely blocked by uprooted trees during the storm. “I was landlocked. They just took them away,” he said.
His Christmas dinner is postponed to New Year’s Day, if he finds the electricity in time. But he still doesn’t know when the power will be restored. ” [Hydro-Québec] hasn’t given a date yet,” he said. However, he remains optimistic. “I’m fine, I’m able to cook, I get water from my neighbors and I’m warm. »