Toronto sends hydro crews to help Ottawa restore power following storm
More than two dozen Toronto Hydro workers have left for Ottawa to help restore power to homes and other critical infrastructure following the deadly weekend storm.
A significant thunderstorm tore through much of southern and eastern Ontario on Saturday, leaving 10 people dead and hundreds of thousands without power.
In Ottawa, four hydro transmission towers were destroyed, resulting in tens of thousands of homes being cut off from electricity. Five days later, there remains nearly 60,000 customers without power.
In a statement, Toronto Hydro said their partners in Ottawa made a formal request for storm assistance and they would be answering the call. As a result, 26 people left for Ottawa Wednesday morning.
“We’ve seen the extensive damage that Saturday’s storm caused across the province," Toronto Hydro spokesperson Russell Baker said.
"Thanks to the dedication of our crews and the patience of our customers, we’ve made significant progress in our restoration efforts at home, and we’re fortunate that we now have the capacity to help our neighbours in Ottawa as they deal with significant damage throughout their city.”
At the height of the storm, Hydro One alone was reporting that 500,000 customers experienced power outages.
A Toronto Hydro crew prepares to go to Ottawa on May 25, 2022 to help with storm cleanup. (Toronto Hydro)
The number of downed poles appears to be increasing daily. On Wednesday, Hydro One said more than 1,600 poles had been broken and a countless number of trees and wires were knocked down.
"Hydro One crews continue restoration efforts as quickly and as safely as possible following Saturday's destructive storm alongside approximately 500 employees from other utilities and contractors," a storm warning on their website says.
"Due to the severity of damage, restoration efforts are expected to continue for several days before power is restored to all customers."
Toronto Hydro said that about 110,000 customers in the city were without power right after the storm, but electricity has been restored to about 99.8 per cent of those impacted.
A transmission tower in Peterborough was also knocked down.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.