Montreal area deals with icy roads, outages following storm

Cars drive past a fallen branch following the storm, as crews work to clear streets of debris. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

A day after a freezing rain storm travelled through the Greater Montreal area and southwestern Quebec on Wednesday, roads and sidewalks are extremely slippery.

Residents and travellers are advised to be on high alert.

Areas affected include Greater Montreal, Montérégie, Outaouais, Laurentians, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Centre-du-Québec and the Quebec City region.

9:25 p.m. over 11,000 Hydro outages remain

There are about 11,069 households without power in the province. Centre-du-Québec currently has the highest number of outages, with 5,430, followed by the Laurentides with 1,758 and Chaudière-Appalaches with 1,723.

In Montreal, 81 households are without electricity.

- Marisela Amador, CTV News

3:50 p.m.: Hydro outages in half

The province-wide outages had nearly halved in four hours heading into the evening.

The total outages stand at 78,918, down from 156,882 just before noon.

The most-affected region remains the Montérégie at 25,130 addresses.

There are also significant blackout numbers in Centre-du-Québec (16,736), Laurentians (11,335), Outaouais (8,919) and Montreal (6,325).

A smaller number of outages are being recorded in Chaudière-Appalaches (7,159) and Laval, which dropped to 600 addresses.

Hydro-Quebec estimates that most people should have their power restored by 11 p.m.

REM trains resumed their normal service across the network.

STM metro service is running normally, though trains are not stopping at Papineau metro after a police intervention earlier in the day.

Exo trains are running normally.

- Daniel J. Rowe, CTV News

READ MORE: Hydro-Quebec used a never-before-tried technique to protect the grid during Wednesday’s ice storm

Montreal Stormwatch

• Environment Canada weather alerts - Montreal area
• Hydro-Quebec outages by region
• STM bus line status
• Metro service updates
• Montreal-Trudeau Airport Departures | Arrivals
• Exo commuter train status
• Via rail trains status

1:10 p.m.: No serious widespread damage

Premier François Legault told reporters in Montreal that roughly 2,000 workers with Hydro-Québec were repairing distribution lines across the province, adding that the majority of outages should be resolved by 11 p.m.

“I understand that some people have been without power for several hours. It’s difficult, but at the same time, I can assure you that Hydro-Québec is doing everything possible to resolve this as quickly as possible.”

Earlier in the day, Louis-Olivier Batty, a spokesperson for Hydro-Québec, said the storm did not cause serious widespread damage to equipment. “So that’s the good news: there’s a lot of damage, but it’s fairly easy to repair.”

For the most part, the storm was not as bad as forecast. A spokesperson for the Urgences-Santé ambulance service said they had received fewer 911 calls than anticipated. Geneviève Poirier, operations chief, said there were no spikes in calls compared to an average day, which she said suggested people followed calls by officials to stay off the roads.

“The directives bore fruit because people stayed home,” she said.

- Erika Morris and Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press

11:25 a.m. Hydro outages down slightly

Province-wide power outages stand at 156,882.

The most-affected region remains the Montérégie at 66,126 addresses.

There are also significant blackout numbers in Centre-du-Québec (24,172), Laurentians (20,492), Outaouais (17,607) and Montreal (12,068).

A smaller number of outages are being recorded in Chaudière-Appalaches (9,431) and Laval (3,111).

Hydro-Quebec estimates that most people should have their power restored by 11 p.m.

- Rachel Lau, CTV News

10 a.m. Hydro outages at 207,000

Hydro-Quebec outages across the province have climbed slightly to 207,839 customers.

The Montérégie region, south of Montreal, is by far the hardest hit.

Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Simon Legault confirms the amount of rain that fell in the Greater Montreal area, and how much snow could be on the way, on CJAD 800.

9:45 a.m. City of Montreal services during the ice storm

The city is continuing to urge residents to postpone non-essential travel and work from home where possible.

Anyone encountering a dangerous situation requiring a public works response should call 311. For police, fire or ambulance, call 911.

The city is also asking residents to watch out for branches that could break and fall and to avoid wooded areas and trails.

De-icing crews worked through the night, spreading salt and abrasives across the city and are continuing operations. Priority locations, including fire and police stations, hospitals, 911 and 311 centres, and major bridges and tunnels, are being treated first.

Residents are warned not to use any fuel-burning appliances indoors, including generators, barbecues or space heaters, due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Anyone who loses power can access city arenas, libraries and arts and cultural centres as warming locations, but call ahead to confirm they are open before heading out.

- Amy Luft, CTV News

8:55 Service resuming on REM

Gradual service resumption is underway across the REM entire network in both directions. CTV News spoke with many frustrated REM commuters Thursday morning as long lines and interrupted services slowed commutes.

One man told CTV News he had been waiting for a shuttle bus for more than 45 minutes.

REM operator Pulsar said it has procedures to prevent ice buildup, including applying a special product to the power lines and running trains throughout the night to scrap the ice away.

But many commuters said each new interruption chips away at their confidence.

“I’m pretty concerned about the fact that it breaks down so easily. And I’m hearing some stuff about high speed trains, and I’m thinking that it won’t be possible. If if a small train like that cannot handle such normal weather, it will never be a feasible project,” said another man.

- Amy Luft and Laurence Brisson Dubreuil, CTV News

7:25 a.m. Boil water advisory in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac

The municipality of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac is under a precautionary boil water advisory after a power outage at a water treatment plant.

Hydro-Quebec outages remain steady at 203,254.

Hydro-Quebec’s Cendrix Bouchard gives an update about province-wide power outages on CJAD 800:

- Rachel Lau, CTV News

6:30 a.m. Power outages climb to over 200,000

The number of power outages has risen to 204,189.

The most-affected area is the Montérégie at 83,253.

Other regions greatly affected include Montreal (34,207), Outaouais (31,097), Centre-du-Québec (24,081), Laurentians (14,523) and Chaudière-Appalaches (13,471).

Laval has 4,330 addresses without power.

Numerous school boards and schools have announced closures for the day.

EMSB spokesperson Mike Cohen explains on CJAD 800 what goes into the decision to open or close schools during a storm:

- Rachel Lau, CTV News

5:15 a.m. 175,000 outages

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has ended its freezing rain warning for the Greater Montreal area.

There are currently 178,481 addresses without power across the province.

The hardest hit areas include the Montérégie (82,542), Montreal (30,888), Outaouais (23,488), the Centre-du-Québec (20,361) and the Laurentians (14,077).

Laval is moderately affected with 4,329 outages.

• Here’s how to stay safe and protect your home in an ice storm

- Rachel Lau, CTV News

5:15 a.m. REM service down, STM buses delayed

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is also experiencing a service interruption between the Brossard and Gare Centrale stations.

Service resumption times are undetermined, and the next update is expected at noon.

Shuttle buses are expected to be available for commuters.

The STM’s Metro service is normal, but dozens of bus routes are affected due to road conditions. Check here for bus lines affected.

- Rachel Lau, CTV News

Wednesday

10:05 p.m. Power outages surpass 100,000 customers

As of 10:05 p.m. Hydro-Quebec is reporting 100,993 homes without power.

Although the Montérégie region remains the most affected with 43,262 outages, conditions in Montreal have worsened, with more than 18,817 households without electricity, followed by Outaouais at 13,622.

On the island 11,506 customers are without electricity, including, 1,010 homes in Saint-Laurent.

Montreal-Est currently has 3,158 household without electricity followed by Dollard-Des Ormeaux at 2,565 and Baie-D’Urfé at 1,367.

- Marisela Amador, CTV News

8:45 p.m. Tens of thousands in Quebec without power

More then 92,656 are currently without power in the province.

The Montérégie region continues to be the most affected, with more than 38,000 homes without power. The Montreal region is next, with nearly 16,800 homes without electricity.

In the afternoon, Premier François Legault indicated on social media that he was monitoring the situation closely.

- Marisela Amador, CTV News

7:45 p.m. Hydro-Quebec power outages continue to rise

Hydro-Québec is reporting more than 84,000 power outages across the province. The hardest-hit areas include Montérégie with 27,881 households without power, Outaouais with 22,455, and Laurentides with 7,436.

Outages in Montreal have also risen sharply over the past two hours, with 11,653 customers without electricity. There are currently 6,218 without power in the Saint-Laurent borough and 2,116 in Saint-Leonard.

The cities of Dorval and Dollard-Des Ormeaux are also affected, with 685 and 976 households without power, respectively.

The service interruption on the REM between Brossard and Central Station in both directions continues.

Service is expected to resume on Thursday morning at 5:30 a.m., according to the REM website.

- Marisela Amador, CTV News

6:10 p.m. REM service disrupted due to freezing rain

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) says service is interrupted between Brossard and Central Station in both directions due to the weather.

It’s not clear when service will resume, but commuters can check the REM website for status updates.

Pulsar, the REM’s operator, said on Tuesday that it would keep the trains running every five minutes on Wednesday in order to prevent as much ice accumulation as possible on the track.

Meanwhile, the STM says most of its buses are maintaining service and running on time.

Across Quebec, Hydro-Quebec is reporting more than 72,000 customers without power.

- Joe Lofaro, CTV News