Around 800 Pontiac homes were without power following Wednesday’s freezing rain storm, a fraction of the 29,000 residences across the Outaouais disconnected from the grid as of 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Outages can be tracked on the Hydro-Québec website.
Several public services were forced to stay closed on Thursday due to these outages, including the Otter Lake CLSC and Dr. Wilbert Keon School in Chapeau.
Hydro-Québec spokesperson Marie-Annick Gariépy said 17 teams of Hydro-Québec linesmen are working in the Pontiac area alone today.
At 1:30 p.m. Thursday (Mar. 12), she said power should be restored by midnight for most residents.
“Some more complex cases or new outages that occurred this morning due to gusty winds may take until tomorrow,” she said.
The Municipality of Mansfield-et-Pontefract is inviting residents in need of warming up and charging electronic devices to do so at the Maison George Bryson, at 314 route 148.
Pontiac Ouest residents can warm up at the municipal office at 75 rue Notre-Dame in Chapeau and at the St-Joseph Hall located at 6 rue St-Joseph, L’Isle-aux-Allumettes.
