Ice storm in eastern Canada kills two and causes significant property damage
Sylvie Claire / April 8, 2023
Two people died and nearly a million people were still without power Thursday night after an ice storm hit eastern Canada, causing extensive property damage, particularly in Montreal.
The storm affected Quebec and Ontario, Canada's two most populous provinces. This is the largest power outage in Quebec since the 1998 ice storm, which plunged the province into chaos for several weeks.
Two deaths were reported by authorities: an eastern Ontario resident killed by a falling tree on Wednesday, and a 60-year-old man in Quebec fatally injured by a branch while trying to clear his yard on Thursday.
"This is a difficult day for Montrealers, for people across Quebec and parts of Ontario who are suffering from power outages," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in Montreal.
As of Thursday evening, road services were still working to clear streets and roads littered with thousands of trees that had fallen due to the weight of the ice, often damaging power lines.
Authorities called for caution, advising people to stay away from wooded areas and from fallen trees and wires. In Montreal, Mount Royal, the hill that dominates the city was closed.
Numerous centers have been opened to accommodate residents without power, while temperatures are near zero and restoring power to everyone could take several days.
In total, nearly one million homes were still without power early Thursday evening, the vast majority in Quebec, although some lines had been restored.
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