Hydro Ottawa
127,000 customers restored as Hydro Ottawa crews make progress
As of 7:00 p.m. tonight (May 25), power has been restored to 127,000 customers across the full breadth of our service territory. Crews continue to work non-stop across the city making areas safe and restoring as many customers as possible in the hardest hit areas. As crews work on the restoration, they are continuing to find more damage and more debris. Today we made extensive progress. Significant efforts are now underway in the Merivale, Woodroffe, Greenbank, Pineglen, Overbrook and Elmvale Acres neighbourhoods.
We welcomed a large team from Toronto Hydro who will be working along our crews over the coming days, performing restoration work in some of the most impacted areas of the city. In total, we will have an extra 250 skilled resources working with our field crews and teams. There are approximately 53,000 customers that remain without power this evening, and our hope is that we will be able to restore power to another 6,000-7,000 customers over the course of this evening and through the night.
While we are aiming to have the bulk of the system up and running by the end of day Friday, the weather, as currently predicted in the forecast, could impact our restoration efforts if there is severe wind, rain or thunderstorms. We ask residents to remain patient as we continue to work round the clock while keeping our crews safe so they can return home to their families at the end of the day.
Frequently asked questions
Damages to property
Q: My private property has been damaged in the storm. What is my recourse?
A: If the storm event has caused damage to your private property, such as your home or your vehicle, the first step is to contact your insurance broker or your insurance company directly. In addition to potentially providing coverage for your loss, your insurer may be able to provide advice and assistance in dealing with your immediate needs, for example they may be able to assist in timely flood remediation, tree removal, roof repair, or by providing a replacement vehicle while yours is being repaired. The City does not assess or arrange for repairs of private property damaged as a result of the storm.
If your storm-related damages are covered by your insurer, and your insurer has reason to believe that a negligent act or omission on the part of the City caused or contributed to the damages, your insurer may choose to bring a subrogated claim against the City seeking compensation for the loss. If such an action is commenced, your insurer may include a claim for your deductible on your behalf.
Q: What if it was a city-owned tree that caused damage to my private property?
A: If a city-owned tree is damaged or has caused damage due to storm event, it is important to report it to the City via 311 and to not touch the tree. The City will arrange for the clean-up and/or removal of any damaged city-owned trees. Situations where the tree is blocking the roadway, is leaning/uprooted or is on a house or car are considered urgent. Residents should not engage with private arborists for clean-up and/or removal of city-owned trees, as the City will assess and undertake this work. Forestry staff can also assess to determine ownership (private/city) of the tree. Residents and/or their insurers can proceed with repairs to private property without an assessment by the City. If a city-owned tree needs to be removed in advance of this work, Forestry Services is prioritizing those requests.
The City is not automatically liable for damages caused by the failure of a city-owned tree. If a claim is made for compensation for storm-related damages caused by a city-owned tree, the City will commence an investigation.
In its investigation, the City will consider whether the tree in question was otherwise healthy and, if not, whether the City’s inspection and maintenance of the tree was reasonable in all of the circumstances.
Unless the storm-related failure of the tree was caused or contributed to by a negligent act or omission on the part of the City, the City will not provide compensation for any resulting damages.
Debris
Q: Will the City be proactively picking up tree debris the residents bring to the curb or are they required to submit a service request?
A: Residents are encouraged to contact 311 or complete a service request online to generate a Request for Service so that the City can efficiently deploy resources. Smaller tree debris will be collected as part of normal leaf & yard waste collection, while larger materials that exceed the specifications outlined in the Solid Waste Management By-law (i.e., exceed 10 cm in diameter or 1.2 m in length) will be collected separately by staff at a later date.
Parks
Q: What is the timeline for staff to clean up city parks? Are parks being assessed for safety concerns and will parks be closed if deemed not safe?
A. Parks crews are currently assessing all parks assets and working with Forestry, as needed, based on hazard and priority. Should a park hazard exist where staff are unable to take timely corrective action, the necessary steps are being taken to make the immediate area safe/secure. Residents are advised to inspect the area prior to use and to avoid areas with hazards, such as overhead tree damage or areas with downed trees. We do not have a timeline for the completion of debris removal across all City parks.
Spoiled food
Q: Will the city be expanding the number of bins for spoiled food?
A. The City has expanded organic disposal sites to the following areas:
- Cardel Rec Center 1500 Shea
- Navan Community Center 1295 Colonial Rd
- Hunt Club Community Center 3320 Paul Anka
- Merivale Arena 1765 Merivale
- Minto Rec complex 3500 Cambrian
- Walter Baker Sports Center 100 Malvern
- Lincoln Fields 2525 Carling Ave
- Greely Community Center 1448 Meadow
- Osgoode Community Center 5662 Osgoode Main St
- Orleans Library 1705 Orléans Blvd
- North Gower CSC 2155 Roger Stevens Dr
- Richmond Arena 6095 Perth St
- Constance Bay Community Center 262 Len Purcell
- Sawmill Creek CC 3350 D’aoust
Hydro
Q: When will my Hydro be restored?
A. Power is expected to be restored by Friday. Hydro Ottawa Crews are working around the clock to address dangerous and life-threatening situations and restore power. Large scale power outages are being restored first, followed by smaller ones, keeping safety as the number one priority. They are working the outage from a City-wide perspective focusing on critical infrastructure and facilities necessary for public health and safety.