Update - Freezing rain - April 6, 19 h

Gatineau, April 6, 2023. – Gatineau is closely monitoring the situation since yesterday's freezing rain event. At this point, 60,000 households are still without electricity. Gatineau is in close communication with Hydro-Québec as it tracks the progress of the outages and restorations. Municipal crews remain on the job, and certain municipal points of service will remain open tonight and tomorrow.

Gatineau will be providing updates through its social media and its website at gatineau.ca/verglas2023.

Quick facts

Where can you go?

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Residents can recharge their devices and fill up water containers at the following points of service: - the Donalda-Charron library, open until 10 p.m. (Hull sector); - the Guy-Sanche library, open until 9 p.m. (Gatineau sector); - the Bernard Lonergan library, open until 8 p.m. (Buckingham sector); and - the Centre communautaire et culturel de Buckingham, open until 10 p.m. These will also be open tomorrow, April 7, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

●	The Salvation Army has set up a canteen in the parking lot of the Paul-Pelletier aquatic centre in the Aylmer sector. Free food and refreshments are being provided (since 5:30 p.m.), and will be again from 8:30 a.m. tomorrow throughout the day. Residents will also be able to recharge their devices.

●	Residents will be able to take a shower at the following locations until 10 p.m. tonight and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m tomorrow : - Centre sportif de Gatineau; and - Maison du citoyen.

●	The STO will accommodate residents trying to get to the different municipal points of service. For details, go to: bit.ly/4158V6m.

●	If the power outage continues, Gatineau invites affected residents to reach out to friends or family for temporary shelter.

Safety tips

●	More than 240 requests concerning broken branches have been received. A crew of tree pruning professionals is currently at work, keeping the roadways safe. Any issues should be reported to the non-emergency call centre (311).

●	Never run a combustion appliance (heater, motor, chainsaw, generator, etc.) indoors, even in a ventilated area.

●	It is important to follow your generator manufacturer's instructions to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. To that end, it is recommended that you install a carbon monoxide alarm in your home.

●	To ensure efficient and safe operation of natural gas appliances, be sure to clear air intakes and exhausts, as well as meters.

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If your power is out for more than six hours, some food may have to be discarded once your power is back. For the full list of foods that can be kept and those that should be discarded, check the Government of Quebec website at: Quels aliments jeter après une panne de courant ou une inondation | Gouvernement du Québec (quebec.ca).

●	A number of traffic lights were out or flashing this morning. Gatineau reminds residents to come to a full stop at intersections and be prudent.

●	Residents are asked not to park on the street while Hydro-Québec crews are there to avoid interfering with their work.

●	At this point, river water levels are normal. Residents are invited to consult gatineau.ca/crue for tips on preparations and the latest updates on water levels.

Citation

“I cannot overstate our appreciation for the work accomplished by crews since the start of the precipitations. I know they will remain on the job until power is restored. We have brought in additional staff to meet the demand from residents. This evening, several municipal points of service in every sector will remain open so residents can fill up their water containers, recharge their devices and take a shower,” stated Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle.

Associated links

Freezing rain

Flooding and spring freshet

Centre sportif

Bibliothèque

Images

From left to right, the Emergency Measures Coordinator, Mr. Denis Doucet, the Mayor of Gatineau, Mrs. France Bélisle, the Councillor of the Versant district, Mr. Daniel Champagne and the Councillor of the Buckingham district, Mr. Edmond Leclerc.

Vidéo

Press point - Freezing rain situation

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