Spring ice storm leaves majority of Aylmer without power for days

Sophie Demers

The storm began on April 5, Gatineau recorded 30 mm of freezing rain and hail throughout the storm. As of April 6, at 12pm, Hydro-Quebec reports 20,871 of Aylmer customers out of 32,747 were without power. For all of Gatineau, 70 515 customers were without electricity out of 144,626. 

Hydro-Quebec reports approximately 1,040,000 residents across Quebec were without power due to the storm. Hydro-Quebec had 1100 employees on the ground throughout the province to fix the outages. 

The freezing rain accumulated on electrical wires which caused the outages. Many trees fell or snapped during the storm. Gatineau’s 311 non-emergency call center received over 100 requests concerning broken branches. The city had crews spreading abrasives on streets and sidewalks after the freezing rain. 

Three libraries were able to remain open; Donalda-Charron, Maison du Citoyen, and Guy-Sanche. Many service centers and aquatic centers on the Gatineau territory were closed. Many stores were closed, Marché Laflamme had a generator and was able to stay open April 5 and 6. The local grocery store also continued their grocery deliveries during this time. 
In terms of flooding, as of April 6, river levels were normal.

Residents concerned about flooding can consult gatineau.ca/crue for more information and water level updates.

The city encourages residents to have an emergency kit at home in case of future storms or outages. The kit should last for 72 hours. Gatineau also recommends having a car emergency kit as well. More information on emergency kits can be found on Gatineau’s website by clicking “Important notices, alerts and emergencies” and then “How to prepare for an emergency.”

Newspaper printed Friday April 7 due to Easter

Photo 1: Melissa-Marie Kelly
Photo 2: Sophie Demers
Photo 3: Melissa-Marie Kelly
Photo 4: Amanda Russell
Photo 5: Lory Beaudoin
Photo 6: Lory Beaudoin