'Each day I'm thinking 911, hospital time': Resident marks five days without power
Thousands of Ottawa residents are marking five days of no power and the circumstances are challenging for many.
For one Ottawa man, who is reliant on an oxygen tank, the outage is taking a toll.
Perry Handleman says as the outage continues, he isn’t ruling out getting help from the hospital.
"As soon as the power comes on, I’ll be as good as to be expected, but each day I’m thinking 911, hospital time," he said.
On Saturday, the 66-year-old was having a coffee with a friend at home when the storm hit his Bell Corners neighbourhood in Ottawa.
"I said can you fill up these oxygen portables in case the power goes off and as soon as he filled one up, the power went off," he said.
The portable tanks help because his usual set-up requires electricity.
"A generator would be great, but power would be better," he said.
Neighbours also stepped in to assist with another back-up plan.
"He uses an oxygen machine which is his life line basically," said Hugh McNeil, Handleman’s neighbour.
"My husband went over there on the weekend to help him and change the different tanks and did a lot of work with that," said Suzie McNeil, who lives nearby.
Handleman said his next-door neighbour came over and untangled the emergency line for the tank, which holds 38 litres of liquid oxygen.
Once that was hooked up, he said he had a supply for four days.
"I was getting down to two to three, like almost getting down to the empty," he said.
Handleman said the tank will be filled up again this week, but it is not clear when the power will come back on and when he will have hot water again.
"It’s been terrifying for me ever since this happened because I’m unhealthy, I’m on oxygen, I’m not eating properly and my phone doesn’t work."
As he waits for the hydro to be restored, he is focused on staying calm and leaning on the support of his neighbours.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
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.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Bystander livestreams during Charlotte standoff show an ever-growing appetite for social media video
Saing Chhoeun was locked out of his Charlotte, N.C., home on Monday as law enforcement with high-powered rifles descended into his yard and garage, using a car as a shield as they were met with a shower of gunfire from the direction of his neighbor's house.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Israel has briefed U.S. on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of potential Rafah operation
Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to U.S. officials familiar with the talks.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.