Quebec officials are giving an update Thursday morning on the widespread power outages caused by Wednesday's ice storm. Watch it live above.
A third of Hydro-Quebec's customers should have their power restored within 24 hours, said Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, speaking to the press at the national assembly.
He said reinforcements will be brought in to assist Hydro-Quebec crews already working to repair the outages.
Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Francois Bordannel said generators are being secured for emergency centres in need.
"We're liaising with municipalities to ensure demands are being met," he told reporters.
This is a breaking news update. Read the original story below.
Over a million Hydro-Quebec customers are still in the dark after an ice storm tore through the province, blacking out neighbourhoods and downing trees.
As of 7:30 a.m., just over 1.1 million Hydro-Quebec customers were still without power, nearly half (483,927) of them in Montreal.
- SEE THE MAP: Real-time Hydro-Quebec outages by region
The freezing rain storm started early Wednesday, sweeping across southern Quebec and coating large swaths of the region in slick ice. Tree branches toppled over, crushing cars in some cases and falling on power lines.
Transport Quebec said weather conditions forced it to close the Victoria Bridge on Wednesday, which connects Montreal with its southern suburbs.
Freezing rain on April 6, 2023 caused trees to fall in Montreal's NDG neighbourhood. (@jannaslow)
In addition, Via Rail issued a travel advisory, saying power outages and track obstructions caused service delays and cancellations in the Montreal-Toronto Corridor.
Montreal Mayor Valerie said in a Thursday tweet that all major roads had been cleared and that the city is now prioritizing residential streets.
"Limit your movements and, if you must go out, remain cautious," she wrote.
Parts of the province are still under a freezing rain warning Thursday. The warning has been lifted in Montreal, where periods of drizzle are forecasted throughout the morning.
Many area schools are closed in light of the bad weather and electricity issues.
- SCHOOL CLOSURES: A list of Montreal-area schools closed due to storm
Hydro-Quebec officials will also hold a news conference on Thursday at 11 a.m. to give an update on repair efforts. It will be streamed on CTVNewsMontreal.ca.
Montreal was coated in a layer of ice on April 6, 2023 after an ice storm tore through Quebec. (@jannaslow)
With files from The Canadian Press.
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