TORONTO – News – Toronto is slowly coming back to life after the ice storm. Efforts to restore power to homes is continuing. Across areas of southern Ontario and Quebec there are hundreds of thousands of people who remain without power.
In Quebec extreme cold is making the situation worse.
Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Toronto Hydro) has restored power to approximately 221,000 customers (300,000 customers at the height of the storm).
Crews continue to work through the night. We’ve restored all critical customers (TTC, Water services etc), and crews continue to repair priority feeders, which will restore the largest groups of customers at one time. Crews will then respond to more localized outages, which affect streets or individual homes.
The company is asking customers to be proactive and check the condition of their stand pipe and mast. Customers, who can clearly see there is damage, should contact a licensed electrical contractor to make repairs in advance. When Toronto Hydro crews arrive to energize their service, it can be done without any further delay. The Electrical Safety Authority is a good resource for finding a licenced contractor and understanding homeowner responsibilities when it comes to electrical equipment on your property.
If you’re concerned that Toronto Hydro has reported that your neighbourhood is restored but your home is still without power, do the following:
Check to see if your neighbours have power, if they don’t there is more work to be done in your local community or on your street.
If your home is the only house without electricity, check your electrical panel to see if the breakers are in the “on” position.
Check the overhead service wire serving your home, if the wire is “down”, please call us at 416-542-8000 to report it. Again, if the standpipe is damaged, Toronto Hydro will not be able to restore your power until it is fixed by a licenced contractor.
Toronto Hydro is receiving assistance from other utilities. Crews from Hydro Ottawa, Sault St. Marie PUC, Enwin (Windsor) and Manitoba Hydro will be working alongside our crews tomorrow helping to restore power.
The City of Toronto is still operating Reception centres, where those in need can access food, water, warmth and rest. For more information, please visit Toronto.ca
