A strong polar vortex slamming into Quebec this weekend is bringing the coldest weather of the season.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a yellow warning — meaning moderate impact — for most of the province and parts of Ontario. Farther west, the warning has reached orange, meaning high impact.
“Very cold weather is forecast this weekend,” the ECCC says on its website. “Extreme cold puts everyone at risk.”
On Saturday, the agency warned of wind chill values ranging from –35 C to -38 C for Southern Quebec in the morning, with similar conditions expected overnight and early Sunday morning. The ECCC recommends people dress warmly, in layers, including a wind-resistant outer layer.
And if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet, it says.
Cold warnings are issued when very cold temperatures or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia, the ECCC explains.
This weekend, a high of –20 C is forecast. To put that in perspective, most standard freezers are set at –18 C.
“We could reach below –35 C in the northern part of the region that we are concerned about, let’s say Abitibi, Lac-Saint-Jean, maybe the northernmost part of Mauricie as well,” said Simon Legault, a meteorologist with ECCC.
Hydro-Québec readies for cold
Hydro-Québec is gearing up for peak electricity demand as everyone heats their homes.
On Saturday morning, the Crown corporation exceeded its production capacity of 37,000 megawatts, coming within an inch of hitting an annual peak consumption of 40,000 megawatts.
In an interview with Midi Info, spokesperson Cendrix Bouchard expressed optimism. He pointed out that the corporation had already met an even higher demand in 2023, around 43,000 megawatts.
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Environment and Climate Change Canada is warning people to be properly dressed if they venture outside this weekend, with low temperatures bringing an elevated risk of frostbite.
The Crown corporation offers tools, such as dynamic pricing, to help Quebec households and businesses better manage their electricity consumption, Bouchard said.
“This includes, among other measures, customers shifting their usage outside of peak periods in exchange for financial compensation in the form of a credit on their bill,” he said.
Power outages in Montreal
Meanwhile, some 20,000 Hydro-Québec clients on the island of Montreal were without power Saturday evening. Most of the outages were centred in the city’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood and in Côte Saint-Luc.
On its website, Hydro-Québec listed equipment failure as the cause of the outages in some sectors, while in other areas, the cause was listed as unknown.
Power was expected to be gradually restored to the affected areas Saturday afternoon.
The city of Côte Saint-Luc issued an alert at around 1 p.m., confirming Hydro-Québec was working to resolve the issue.
Authorities also reminded residents to leave cold water running in a “slow and steady stream” in at least one faucet to reduce the risk of frozen pipes and possible water damage.
In addition, the city said residents whose homes become too cold could warm up at various locations including the aquatic and community centre, library or shopping centre.
Montreal Public Health is also warning people about the cold on its website, offering tips on how to stay protected. When dealing with extreme cold, the health agency says basic precautions can prevent serious risks like frostbite and hypothermia.
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To stay safe, drink hot beverages, eat frequently and avoid cotton against the skin, which retains moisture. Change out of wet clothes promptly and inform a trusted contact of your whereabouts, the agency says.
The agency warns that alcohol or drug use heightens the risk of hypothermia. It urges users to avoid consuming alone, to keep naloxone unfrozen and administer it with a 911 call if breathing falters.
Finally, in enclosed spaces like tents, beware of fire hazards and silent, deadly carbon monoxide from heating or cooking devices, it says.
Montreal offers warming stations
Claude Pinard, chair of Montreal’s executive committee and the councillor responsible for homelessness, told CBC Montreal’s Let’s Go on Friday that the city has been getting ready for the cold.
There’s now room for more than 3,000 people to warm up. While his administration is meeting its campaign promises, he said it’s still not enough.
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The city of Montreal has added 534 temporary spots in warming shelters. Though organizations that help people experiencing homelessness welcome the measure, they also say that one of the challenges is ensuring that these individuals know about the facilities.
“If I look at the occupancy rate, it’s over 90, but not at 100. We are confident that we have a sweet spot, but we know it’s not enough,” said Pinard, noting not everybody living precariously wants to use the services.
In the downtown core, the Université du Québec a Montréal has opened its doors for people on the street to warm up.
The city’s transit corporation, the Société de transport de Montréal, says it will also be more tolerant with people lingering in stations to find a warm spot.
As far as outdoor recreation is concerned, the show must go on. Igloofest is taking place in Montreal despite the frigid temperatures. Tasha Prentice, spokesperson for the festival, said festival staff are ready for the cold with first responders and protocols in place.
“We’ve been doing this for 18 editions now. Usually, our fans prepare for it as well,” she said.
“Layering is your best friend. You’re going to have to look like a colourful little sandwich if you want to come to Igloofest this weekend.”
Other venues outside of Montreal, however, are choosing to cancel their activities. That’s the case at the Granby Zoo, which is closed Saturday due to the extreme cold. In the Eastern Townships, ski lessons and the Nuit Blanche event were cancelled at the Bromont ski resort and night skiing at Mont-Sainte-Anne, near Quebec City was also cancelled.
