- Two of Canada's most populous provinces were left without power following a massive ice storm
- There were at least two fatalities recorded in Quebec and Ontario
- Repairs to restore power were expected to last for several days
Two of Canada's most populous provinces have recorded two fatalities and have had more than a million residents experience no power on Thursday following a powerful ice storm ahead of the holiday weekend.
The storm system brought freezing rain and strong winds that were able to topple trees in the area and weigh down power lines. Just under a million Canadians lost power in Quebec and roughly 110,000 in Ontario as of 4:00 p.m. The number of outages for both provinces totaled at least 1.3 million earlier in the day.
Powerful Ice Storm Hits Canada
Electricity providers in Quebec and Ontario said that they were working on restoring power to the regions. However, they noted that repairs were expected to continue for several days, meaning many Canadians could spend their Easter holiday weekend without power, as per Reuters.
Officials reported that one man was killed in Quebec by a tree that fell on top of him due to the powerful winds. Canadian Premier Francois Legault spoke during a briefing, cautioning people to watch for live wires and weakened trees amid the storm. Another individual lost his life in Ontario after being struck by a falling branch.
In a statement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered federal assistance if needed. He noted that this was a challenging moment for the people as power was down for many, trees were coming down, and buildings and cars were being damaged.
Montreal was among the areas considered to be the worst stricken in Quebec, as it accounted for roughly half of the total outages in the region. Trudeau said that when he saw the beautiful trees down and the lives facing challenges, he knew it would be a difficult Easter weekend.
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Millions Left Without Power
During the peak of the powerful ice storm, Environment Canada issued warnings to five different provinces amid the mix of rain and dangerous conditions. According to CTV News, the system was found to have started in Manitoba, where it released about 15 centimeters of snow on southern communities, forcing officials to close down schools and highways temporarily.
In several areas of Ontario, the storm changed to freezing rain, covering Ottawa with roughly 38.5 millimeters of ice, causing trees to be downed and widespread power outages. Power officials said on Thursday that roughly one-third of the customer base could expect to see their power restored within 24 hours.
Some areas of Winnipeg also accumulated more than 10 to 15 centimeters of snow, with more than 20 centimeters being seen in regions in the southeast. Yahoo News said the snow and powerful 50 to 70-kilometer-per-hour winds in Manitoba resulted in reduced visibility.
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