More than 300,000 people in Ontario, Quebec, and Ottawa lost electricity this weekend as a powerful ice storm hit the region.
The storm, which began Saturday, continued through Sunday and was expected to last until Monday morning, according to Hydro One and Environment Canada.
Winter storm warnings were issued for parts of Ontario and Quebec, where freezing rain and ice pellets created dangerous conditions. Heavy layers of ice formed on trees and power lines, causing many of them to break and fall.
Hydro One, Ontario’s electricity provider, reported that falling tree branches were the main reason for the outages. Some areas also faced the risk of flooding.
Alectra, another electricity company, said 35,000 customers in places like Barrie were without power. Crews have been working hard to fix the problem, but the icy conditions have made repairs slow and difficult.
In the city of Orillia, Ontario, officials declared a state of emergency. Roads became dangerous, trees were knocked over, and some power lines came down. Residents reported hearing trees crash and seeing blocked roads in many neighbourhoods.
The storm caused damage to homes, streets, and other buildings. Local governments and power crews are continuing to respond to the emergency to help people stay safe and warm.
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