Province to pick up the tab for Ottawa storm cleanup
Ottawa mayor Jim Watson says Premier Doug Ford has assured him the province will pay for cleaning up the national capital after Saturday’s powerful, deadly storm.
Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s “Ottawa at Work with Leslie Roberts” on Wednesday, Watson said he spoke to Ford by phone and the premier told him Ottawa would be covered.
“As you can imagine, mayors do a good job of asking other levels of government for help, because we obviously can’t absorb all of these costs,” Watson said. “He assured me they would take care of all of our costs, which was very comforting to hear that.”
The cleanup is likely to cost tens of millions of dollars, though no official dollar figure has been shared at this point.
City officials said Tuesday that it would be another two to three days to finish restoring power to the majority of customers. Hydro Ottawa said Wednesday that crews had connected more than 125,000 customers, with 55,000 left to restore as of 1 p.m. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, more than 180,000 customers in Ottawa lost power—about half of Hydro Ottawa’s customer base.
Parts of Ottawa are serviced by Hydro One, which also suffered significant damage. Watson said he spoke to Ford about the need for Hydro One crews and was assured that the city of Ottawa—urban, suburban, and rural—would be supported.
“I asked him for the city of Ottawa. They’re all part of the city of Ottawa, so things like the overtime costs for us to move brush, and our forestry department and so on, he was very definitive that the province will pay all the costs, so I’m appreciative of that commitment,” the mayor said.
Ford previously told Watson that restoring power was the “number one issue” following the storm
"We're giving it everything we have; we have all the resources out there working as hard as possible," Ford told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s “The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll” on Monday.
The derecho storm came with winds of up to 190 km/h in parts of the region, according to analysis by the Northern Tornadoes Project, and toppled trees, hydro poles, and even metal hydro towers, leaving tens of thousands without power, some of whom are approaching a fifth night in the dark.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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?
BREAKING 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.
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.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.