Strong winds swept through southern Ontario Saturday afternoon, killing at least five people and injuring several, in addition to removing hundreds of thousands of people from electricity.
Ontario Provincial Police confirmed they have opened an investigation into the death of a 44-year-old man in Greater Madawaska Township, an hour from Ottawa. Like the other victims, the man in question died of his wounds after being hit by a tree.
The City of Ottawa has confirmed that the storm has killed one person west of its territory, while two other people are in critical condition after a tree fell on a golf course.
A 51-year-old woman was also killed in the Ottawa River after her boat capsized, the Gatineau Police Service confirmed.
The storm that hit the federal capital region was described as massive by Ottawa mayor Jim Watson. At a press briefing, he explained that the storm had struck all corners of the City, depriving residents of electricity in all neighborhoods . Around 10 p.m., nearly 180,000 subscribers ran out of power, according to local distributor, Hydro Ottawa.
The storm caused extensive damage to the distribution network, with the City confirming 122 equipment failures in its territory. These malfunctions disrupted the circulation of the federal capital’s light rail, which could not function due to lack of electricity.
A city spokesman said operations could take several days to restore power.
At least two more are dead in Ontario
This afternoon, one person was killed and two others sustained minor injuries when a tree fell on their trailer in a camping area on Pinehurst Lake, between Hamilton and Kitchener.
In Brampton, a western suburb of Toronto, a woman was hit by a fallen tree while walking outside. He did not survive his wounds.
In Toronto, police had to respond to rescue an unknown number of people when a pleasure boat capsized during a storm near the shores of Lake Ontario. None of the passengers were taken to hospital.
Environment Canada has previously issued severe thunderstorm warnings for Toronto, Ottawa and other areas of Eastern Ontario, wind warnings that could exceed 130 km / h and even mentioned the risk of tornadoes.
Most of these alerts were removed around 4:30 p.m.
By 10 pm, nearly 345,000 Ontarians were still without electricity, according to Hydro One.
Quebec was hit hard
The violent winds also left traces of their passage through Quebec. More than 516,000 Hydro-Quebec customers were without electricity around 10 pm Saturday night.
We currently have several dozen teams in the field, and are mobilizing our employees hard for the evening and the day tomorrow. assured a spokesman for Hydro-Quebec.
The Laurentian, Outaouais and Lanaudière regions were the most affected regions, while major centers such as Montreal and Laval were relatively spared.
In Saint-Sauveur, witnesses reported the presence of electrical wires on many roads, leaving them impassable.
In Capitale-Nationale, a gust of wind tore the roof of a 70-unit residential building. Residents are cared for by the Red Cross.
Extreme thunder and tornado watches were released for several regions of southern Quebec on Saturday afternoon. The tornado watches, involving Estrie, Drummondville – Bois-Francs, Mauricie, Beauce, Québec and Montmagny-L’Islet, were removed last night.
Residents of northwest New Brunswick were also on high alert on Saturday. Environment Canada monitors the path of thunderstorms generated in the state of Maine moving into the province, which can be severe thunderstorms.
Source: Radio-Canada
