Steve Flanagan, of Hydro-Québec: 42 hours without stopping
Hydro-Québec’s public relations team grew from 10 to around 50 people during the ice storm. Thereupon, fifteen or so spokespersons gave some 3,000 interviews, most of them in the first three weeks.
And faith of the most famous of them, Steve Flanagan, their hours of sleep were short.
On Monday, January 5, he is alone in the office with his colleague Jean-Claude Lefebvre. “During the day, we followed the weather conditions, recalls Mr. Flanagan. It was part of our habits, because when there was rain, ice, snowstorms, it could have an impact on the distribution network. At the end of the day, Jean-Claude left with what was called the emergency case: a laptop computer and a telephone book. »
The next morning, around 5 a.m., Mr. Flanagan received a call from his colleague who informed him that thousands of subscribers were already without electricity. When he arrives at Hydro-Québec’s head office, reportage trucks are waiting for him.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Steve Flanagan, January 12, 1998
“It was the start of a long day,” he said. I worked 42 consecutive hours. And I didn’t know yet that I had left home for three weeks. Mr. Flanagan stayed in a hotel a stone’s throw from his office and slept around four hours a night.
At one point, the people from LCN asked me if I could check in with them every 15 minutes. I said yes. When RDI officials saw that, they asked me the same thing. I found myself doing eight interviews an hour! At peak times, it could go up to 13, 14!
Steve Flanagan, former spokesperson for Hydro-Québec
Since 2004, the former spokesperson has opened his own box, Flanagan Public Relations. He believes that the crisis management model and the way of communicating at Hydro-Quebec, which had just been reviewed from top to bottom in 1997, have had a following. “When you look at the ice storm 25 years later, I think it made Quebec society more resilient. »
Josée Payant, of the Red Cross: from Florida to Saint-Césaire
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Josée Payant, of the Red Cross
With the Canadian Red Cross Society for 42 years, Josée Payant was vacationing with her family in Florida when the ice storm hit. Once she was back in Quebec, she was given 24 hours before going to work full time.
“I lived in the heart of Saint-Césaire, in the black triangle. I myself was affected with a child of preschool age, another in elementary school and another in CEGEP. I kept my baby and placed the other two. »
Josée Payant was then director of domestic and international operations for Quebec. Its job: to develop, coordinate and implement a whole range of programs intended to help the population. And quick.
“Immediately after the events, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Public Security to become managers of government emergency equipment. Since that time, we have managed the beds, blankets, hygiene kits, etc. »
Warrant Officer Jean-François Tremblay, Armed Forces: another cookie?
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES
Warrant Officer Jean-François Tremblay, in charge of regimental fire at 12e Armored Regiment of Canada, at Valcartier
With his comrades, Jean-François Tremblay left Quebec for Montreal where, during the first two weeks of the crisis, he worked in the streets picking up branches, pruning trees while keeping an eye on the safety of the victims who , them, returned it well to them.
“In the streets, we were offered coffee, cookies, all sorts of things,” recalls Warrant Officer Jean-François Tremblay. One day, I was assigned to a chainsaw team. We had taken a break and I told my teammate that I was stopping eating cookies, at the risk of overdosing on them. A little further, we passed a mother with her 3-4 year old daughter who were bringing… a tray of cookies. I had no choice but to take another! »
After two weeks in Montreal, the troop moved to the Acton Vale area, where Mr. Tremblay went door to door to ensure that people lived in safety and distributed cords of wood.
“One of our main tasks is the protection of Canada, regardless of the context,” he recalls. It’s always rewarding to help our people. »
Serge Mainville, from Environment Canada: “Are you serious? »
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Environment Canada meteorologist Serge Mainville
In 1998, meteorologist Serge Mainville worked at the Environment Canada office in Ottawa. He is in post on the night of January 4 to 5. What he sees on his radar and his screens does not bode well. His colleagues in Montreal see the same thing, namely a strong risk of freezing rain for… five days!
As the Montreal office is farther from the precipitation system, Ottawa will issue the freezing rain message for days 3, 4 and 5.
Taking over, at 7 a.m., Serge Mainville briefs one of his colleagues, who is a little flabbergasted.
At the end of my presentation, she said to me: “Seriously? Are you predicting five straight days of freezing rain?” His eyes signaled to me that I was announcing a tragedy.
Serge Mainville, meteorologist at Environment Canada
Mr. Rainville reviews his analysis. And makes the same observation. “In Ottawa, the day shift re-did the models to come to the same conclusion,” he says. Serge Mainville derives no kind of glory from it. “We wanted to provide the best possible service with the instruments at our disposal. From then on, it was no longer mine. »