The freezing wind that swept through Quebec caused power outages on Saturday. Plunged into darkness and cold, some preferred to take refuge with relatives.
In the Villeray district, Béatrice Cosgrove puts her bag in the trunk of her car. “The power isn’t supposed to come back until midnight. It’s really starting to get cold, ”says the young woman.
Chilled despite all her layers of clothing, she decided to go to sleep at her parents’ place, very warm.
Further on, Nicolas Gendron-Carrier also comes out of his apartment, a bag in his hand. A friend will host him for the evening. The cold was tolerable during the day, but at night… “Inside, it’s 15°C! he exclaims.
In the midst of a polar cold wave, 15,180 customers were without power on Saturday evening, according to Hydro-Québec’s report. In Montreal, 76 power outages affected 7,842 customers.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Jacinte Morel, resident of Villeray deprived of power
“The cold is the cause in the majority of cases,” says Jonathan Côté, spokesperson for Hydro-Québec. Indeed, extreme cold can damage equipment and cause breakage. “In these cases, the equipment has to be replaced,” he explains.
Without electricity since 10 a.m., the residents of Villeray met by The Press had to take their troubles patiently: the power should not be restored before Sunday noon. “It may take longer because there are lots of small breakdowns located in different places [à Montréal] “, explains Mr. Côté.
Once the electricity supply is restored, it is important to increase the heating gradually, he warns. “The reflex is to increase the heating too quickly, but that can cause new breakdowns,” he specifies.
As for the demand for electricity, it rose to 38,400 megawatts in the evening. The day before, it had reached 42,700 megawatts, a record. Despite high demand, everything worked well, there are no incidents or large-scale problems,” assures Mr. Côté.
More than 9362 calls for help
The polar cold also caused disruptions on the roads. At CAA Quebec, 9,362 calls from motorists having broken down had been received and 9134 services had been rendered around 7:30 p.m. It was expected that the 10,000 call mark would be exceeded by the end of the evening.
In the vast majority of cases, the cause of the failure was a dead battery. “It’s not surprising, considering the cold,” says Nicolas Ryan, public affairs director. To meet demand, the number of patrollers has increased from 700 to 1,200 on the roads of the province.
” It’s a little complicated ”
“It’s the hustle and bustle! says Jacinthe Robillard in her vestibule lit by the diffused glow of a candle. “We have a 3-year-old girl, a dog… It’s a bit complicated,” sighs the young mother, dressed in a fleece jacket and snow pants. Fortunately, the little family will be able to take refuge with their in-laws.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Jacinthe Robillard
Not all have left their homes. A few streets further, Jacinte Morel opens the door of her surprisingly well-insulated house.
“We closed the blinds up and down,” she explains, a red scarf tied around her neck. Sure, it’s cold, but she’s not one to complain. “We had a month of January with a lot of snow, but no blowing snow or ice. I am a great optimist! “says M.me Morell.