Some Orleans residents return home after Monday's explosion
Eighteen families returned to their homes in Orleans Wednesday evening, two days after Monday's explosion levelled four homes under construction and severely damaged many more.
"We did have our building code team in… and did deem a number of properties structurally safe to reoccupy," Coun. Catherine Kitts said.
"We've been working with Minto, with Hydro One, with Enbridge to resume services to those homes. And once the site is safe and secure, we're looking at perhaps being able to stagger some residents going back home."
Excavation of the blast site started Wednesday and it is expected to take crews several days to clear the rubble. It comes after a drone was used for hours on Tuesday to gather aerial footage.
Kitts says all impacted residents have had somewhere to stay since Monday—either with friends or family or in a hotel. Minto's president says early indications show the blast may have been caused by a natural gas leak, though the investigation is still underway.
Kitts has been at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex for the past few days with other officials providing the latest information to residents and offering any assistance.
"We're continuing to manage, it's been a really traumatic event and I think residents have been patient and we've all been working collaboratively together," Kitts says. "All the partners; Ottawa police, Ottawa fire, the Ontario Fire Marshal, myself we were all on a call this morning to get coordinated so we're all kind of working to make sure residents feel supported and, of course, they can come here (Ray Friel) to get information."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hamas says latest ceasefire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future'
The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions,"{ the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected.
One dead after potential wrong way crash on Highway 401 in Milton: OPP
One person is dead and another is in life-threatening condition after a driver was travelling in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Milton Sunday, according to police.
B.C. man wants homes for thousands of books he soon won't be able to read
In the 10 years since John William started to lose his vision, he's been finding new ways to enjoy his vast personal library.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
'The Fall Guy' gives Hollywood a muted summer kickoff with a US$28.5M opening
"The Fall Guy," the Ryan Gosling-led, action-comedy ode to stunt performers, opened below expectations with US$28.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, providing a lukewarm start to a summer movie season that's very much to be determined for Hollywood.
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc insists
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
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.
opinion You don't need to be an influencer to earn income from social media
How legitimate are claims by some content creators that the average person can earn passive income from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram? Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says it's quite possible, if you're willing to put in the initial time and effort.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.