Deadly storm hits Ontario and Quebec

Ontario Provincial Police confirmed they have opened an investigation into the death of a 44-year-old man in Greater Madawaska Township, an hour west of Ottawa. Like other victims, the man in question succumbed to his injuries after being struck by a tree.

The city of Ottawa has confirmed that the storm killed one person in the west of its territory, while two other people are in critical condition after a tree fell on a golf course.

A 51-year-old woman was also killed in the Ottawa River after her boat capsized, the Gatineau Police Department confirms.

The storm that hit the federal capital region was called huge by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. At a press conference, he explained that the storm swept every corner of the City, depriving residents of electricity in all neighborhoods . By around 10 pm, nearly 180,000 subscribers were without power, according to local distributor Hydro Ottawa.

The storm caused considerable damage to the distribution network, with the City confirming 122 equipment failures in its territory. These breakdowns disturb the circulation of the light rail of the Federal Capital, which cannot function due to lack of electricity.

A city spokesman said operations to restore power could take several days.

At least two more dead in Ontario

This afternoon, one person was killed and two others were slightly injured when a tree collapsed on their trailer at a camping area on Pinehurst Lake between Hamilton and Kitchener.

In Brampton, a western suburb of Toronto, a woman was struck by a falling tree while walking outside. She did not survive her injuries.

In Toronto, police had to respond to rescue an unknown number of people when a pleasure boat capsized during a thunderstorm near the shore of Lake Ontario. None of the passengers was taken to hospital.

Environment Canada had previously issued severe storm warnings for Toronto, Ottawa and other areas of eastern Ontario, warning of winds that could exceed 130 km/h and even mentioning the risk of tornadoes.

Most of these alerts were lifted around 4:30 p.m.

As of 10 p.m., nearly 345,000 Ontarians were still without power, according to Hydro One.

Quebec hits hard

Violent winds also left traces of their passage in Quebec. More than 516,000 Hydro-Quebec customers lost power around 10 p.m. Saturday.

We currently have several dozen teams in the field and are mobilizing our employees en masse for overnight and tomorrow. a Hydro-Quebec spokesman said.

The Laurentides, Outaouais and Lanaudière regions are the most affected regions, while major centers such as Montreal and Laval have been relatively spared.

In Saint-Sauveur, witnesses denounced the presence of electrical cables on many roads, rendering them impassable.

In the national capital, gusts ripped the roof off a 70-unit residential building. The neighbors were attended by the Red Cross.

Severe thunderstorm and tornado watches were issued for several regions of southern Quebec on Saturday afternoon. Tornado watches, which affected Estrie, Drummondville-Bois-Francs, Mauricie, Beauce, Québec and Montmagny-L’Islet, were lifted overnight.

Residents of northwestern New Brunswick were also on high alert Saturday. Environment Canada was monitoring the path of thunderstorms formed in the state of Maine moving into the province, which could develop into severe thunderstorms.