Thousands of Hydro-Québec customers in Montreal’s western region remained without power into Monday evening, despite efforts to restore service to most areas by early Tuesday. The utility is dealing with an equipment malfunction at the Hampstead substation, urging customers to conserve energy while crews work on repairs. Although power was mostly back after an outage on Saturday, over 5,000 Montreal customers were still affected as of late Monday.
The restoration process has been challenging due to extreme cold weather, straining the local power grid. When power is reinstated in cold homes, heating systems operate at full capacity, potentially causing localized overloads and new outages. Hydro-Québec emphasized the need for a gradual restoration process to prevent grid overload.
To balance the network, residents in Côte-Saint-Luc, Hampstead, Montreal West, and Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, not impacted by the outage, are requested to lower thermostats slightly and minimize the use of energy-intensive appliances like dryers and dishwashers.
Hydro-Québec recognized the impact of prolonged outages during severe cold and advised affected residents to check municipal websites for warming center locations. Multiple Montreal schools closed due to weather and ongoing power issues, including École Vanguard School, Wagar Adult Education Centre, Philip E. Layton Schools, The Mackay Centre, and Lower Canada College.
“We fully understand the challenges of power outages in extreme cold, and our priority is the safe and swift restoration of service,” stated Hydro-Québec spokesperson Lynn St-Laurent. St-Laurent explained that restoring power gradually is necessary to prevent system strain.
Effected communities have established warming centers, with the Red Cross operating an overnight emergency shelter at the Côte-des-Neiges community center. Montreal firefighters conducted wellness checks while the Aquatic and Community Centre in Côte Saint-Luc remained open for residents in need of warmth and facilities.
Snow removal operations were active on Monday, with Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada ensuring continuous efforts for safe streets. The STM warned of potential bus delays due to weather conditions and reported a service slowdown on the REM light-rail network, which was resolved by early afternoon. Passengers traveling through Trudeau International Airport were advised to check with airlines for possible delays or cancellations.
Despite the challenges, Montreal continues to function, with authorities and residents working together to navigate the impacts of the ongoing power outages and extreme weather conditions.
