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After days without power in sub-zero temperatures, residents in Montreal’s west end are dealing with widespread property damage, as two deaths possibly linked to the outage are now under investigation.
Thousands of customers were left without electricity for more than three days after an equipment failure at the Hampstead substation, which services the area, on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Hydro-Québec has come under criticism for delays in restoring power, as well as what some residents and local officials described as poor communication during the event.
Jane Critchlow, who lives in the city’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood, was among those who lost power. Now she’s dealing with burst pipes and no running water.
“We had our taps on, we were draining the water like we’re supposed to, but something froze, and exploded as it thawed,” she said in an interview, adding that Hydro-Québec should be held accountable.
“There will be extensive damage to the basement. The ceiling will definitely have to be repaired, possibly removed.”
At least two people died during the outage — though the cause of their deaths has not been confirmed. Quebec’s coroner’s office told CBC News it is investigating.
Tens of thousands of residents in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood and neighbouring municipalities lost power for days during intense cold. Though that issue has been resolved, others have emerged.
Neighbour mourns ‘tragic and preventable’ death
One of them, a 66-year-old woman, was found dead by firefighters during a wellness check in Montreal West.
Another was Sheila Padmore, 87, who lived with her 91-year-old husband on Beaconsfield Avenue in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Padmore died in hospital after police found her unresponsive on the floor last Sunday night, said Steve Shivalofsky, who lives next door.
Shivalofsky said he had checked on the couple multiple times after they lost power on Saturday but there was no answer.
On Sunday, after noticing what looked like the flicker of a candle inside the home, he flagged down a police cruiser.
Padmore was found unresponsive after spending roughly 36 hours in the cold home, he said. Both she and her husband were taken to hospital.
“It’s just a really tragic and preventable death,” Shivalofsky said. He said Padmore was a longtime teacher and a “kind and generous person.”
He said Hydro-Québec could have done a better job communicating the scope of the outage and when power would be restored.
“It doesn’t allow an elderly couple to say, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get out of here.’”
Lawsuit filed
A Montreal law firm, Lex Group Inc., filed a class action on Wednesday, alleging Hydro-Québec failed to meet its obligation to provide reliable service.
The application, filed in Quebec Superior Court, seeks compensation for residents affected by the outage in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, as well as the municipalities of Côte Saint-Luc and Montreal West.
It must still be authorized by a judge before it can proceed. The class action seeks compensation for residents who suffered property damage, incurred additional expenses such as hotel stays or food costs, or whose family members were hospitalized or allegedly died in connection with the outage.
Hydro-Québec declined to comment on the legal filing, saying it was reviewing the application.
In an emailed statement, Hydro-Québec spokesperson Pascal Poinlaine said it had “maintained constant communication with the communities affected by the outage.”
Poinlaine said Hydro-Québec had kept in touch with local officials and emergency services, implemented automated calls to contact customers directly, and conducted door-to-door outreach in the neighbourhood.
In response to a question about whether Hydro would compensate customers for damages, Poinlaine said customers should contact their insurer.
