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
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.