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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.