Storm cleanup continues as thousands of Ottawa residents mark eight days of no power
It’s been one week since a devastating storm swept through the nation’s capital, knocking out power to tens of thousands of people.
As of Saturday evening, around 18,000 households and businesses are still in the dark.
In a South Keys neighbourhood, trees are toppled and tarps cover roofs.
"I’m not sure what’s happening," said Stacey Ottley, a resident with a home that was badly damaged in the storm. "It’s been very disappointing and it’s been over a week of no power."
People are trying to manage a costly clean-up as they also deal with no power or hot water.
“We have insurance, but it’s still pricey because we have to pay the arborist up front and that’s $1,400 an hour because it’s an emergency,” she said.
Hydro crews are stationed throughout the city as they focus on the hardest hit neighbourhoods.
"This was such a widespread hit to our city," said Joseph Muglia, Hydro Ottawa’s director of system operations and automation. "There’s a tremendous amount of trees on wires and broken poles that we are still dealing with."
As Hydro Ottawa enters the last phase of restoration, there’s a goal, but no firm commitment on restoring power by the end of the weekend.
"That’s our goal and certainly reducing that number right down to zero as much as we can, that’s certainly our goal," said Muglia.
The damage is widespread as people rely on generators for power.
“For all hours of the day and most of the night as well, there’s generators going on,” said Shira Schwartz, an Ottawa resident.
The City of Ottawa was handing out storm clean-up kits on Saturday, for residents in need.
"I decided to grab a coffee, charge up and I thought I would get a kit just to help out some neighbours in the area," said Michelle Optis, who has been without power for eight days.
Helping others is a welcome distraction for Optis as she continues to deal with a very challenging and draining situation.
"The lack of power is starting to get to a lot of us," she said. "A lot of us are starting to get a little stir crazy and sad."
As city workers continue to go from street to street to remove the storm debris, it’s clear this will take weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.