Hydro Ottawa Working On Restoring Power In Manotick, Kars, North Gower
By Manotick Messenger Staff
Even though we are a few weeks into spring, winter has left an exclamation point on the snowiest season in 15 years.
A freezing rain warning left Manotick and surrounding area in a mess after the April 5 storm destroyed trees and knocked out power in one of the worst ice storms seen since the epic Eastern Ontario ice storm of 1998.
Pockets of Manotick, Richmond, North Gower, Kars, Riverside South, Osgoode, Leitrim, Greely and most surrounding communities were without power overnight, while some neighbourhoods experienced only light flickering as felled trees hitting power lines in the city and throughout the city caused problems with the grid.
Hydro Ottawa workers were working throughout Good Friday and were scheduled to work into the evening and night to restore power in the areas still in the dark.
School buses were cancelled for two straight days – the first day because of the weather and the second due to the damage and power outages, along with a blanket of fog.
The City of Ottawa’s Forestry Services have received hundreds of requests regarding fallen trees or limbs across the city on the day of the storm. They and their partners were prioritizing work to address fallen trees and debris that were blocking streets or those that may be a hazard to residents or property. Once hazards and streets are cleared, staff and contractors will address broken limbs, non-hazardous removals, and brush/wood cleanup. It is expected that these weather-related service requests will be their focus for several weeks.
Residents are advised to stay safely away from broken and hanging branches/limbs or leaning trees. Please also be aware of ice chunks melting and falling from above.
Many local commuters were left stranded as the LRT was once again a victim of winter weather. A total of five trains were stuck on the tracks after what OC Transpo tweeted was a power issue. It was the highest number of trains to ever be stuck on the line at once. One eastbound train had more than 100 passengers stranded on board until firefighters cut a fence and helped them get to safety. OC Transpo provided replacement bus service throughout the day.
More than 35mm of liquid precipitation was recorded at the Ottawa International Airport, breaking the previous April 5 precipitation record of 34.4 mm set in 1984. Several flights in and out of Ottawa were cancelled, causing problems for travellers looking to get away for the Easter long weekend.
