January 1998

A Perfect Storm

Freezing rain began to fall on January 5th, 1998, and continued unabated for 6 days. While the storm raged, and in the weeks that followed, much of eastern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and the northeastern United States lay crippled under the staggering weight of accumulated ice. It was a thing of both great beauty, and terrible consequence.

Trees had shattered. Roofs had collapsed. Power was lost, and lives were put at risk. In many places, a state of emergency was declared. The damage was unprecedented. And so was the effort that followed.

Frontline emergency responders, including our powerline maintainers faced dangers unlike any they had seen. They rose as one to the challenge, restoring power for the millions stranded in the cold and dark of winter.

It was our worst week ever. In many ways, it was also our best.

Hear true accounts, read actual letters, and view images as we commemorate and reflect back on the events of Icestorm 98.

Looking Back

“
Unbelievable destruction, incredible challenge, awesome teamwork - quite possibly our finest hour as an industry and as a community!”

Bill Bennett, Director, Distribution Asset Management, Operations
“As staff, material, and equipment were limited and the requests for assistance was received......I recall myself numerous times saying “I rather be looking at it, than looking for it.”

The dedication of all staff committed to restoring power to the residents of Ottawa Carleton was tremendous. The company went over and above to provide staff the assistance they needed to tend to personal issues due to their absences from home when their own families were without power for days. I recall billing staff providing baby-sitting services for operations staff, military personnel were sent to water cattle, shovel driveways, and pile wood into basements for operations employees.

Although very stressful and exhausting...wouldn't have missed it for the world.”

Dave Garland
Manager, Construction & Maintenance South
“
Grâce à un esprit d'équipe remarquable, nos équipes et nos partenaires ont fait un travail colossal. Le support de la communauté a été notre carburant.”

Roger Marsh, Director, Metering and Electricity Revenue, Customer Care
“All the employees from Gloucester Hydro came together - upper management and the hydro commission helped immensely - three meals a day, a place to gather and all the equipment we needed. All this support and the 'carte blanche' to do what we needed to do allowed us to get people's power back on as quickly as possible.”

Paul Lavigne, Field Representative
“The ice storm of 1998 was one that Mother Nature showed who controls the atmosphere. You knew it was bad when they declared a state of emergency in Ottawa Carleton and the Army was on its way.

Highlights were working 12-hour shifts from midnight to noon, travelling through the city with no traffic or streetlights working. That was a very strange feeling - it felt like driving through a tunnel that had no end to it. When we did get the power back on people were out on the street thanking us for our work.

I personally was out of power at home for 13 days. This is when you can't thank your friends, neighbours, relatives and community enough for what they have done for you. I remember the power was restored to my residence at 7 pm on Saturday night and I said 'Turn on the hockey game, I think its time for a break.'”

Lorne Lacharity, Supervisor, Operations
“
Go ahead and energize.”

Jeff Meek, Supervisor, Distribution Projects West, Operations

Letters

To all Ottawa Hydro Employees:

Thank you for all your hard work during the last few weeks. We appreciate your efforts and determination as you struggled to restore, repair and maintain the power and power lines in the areas.

Thank you,
To All Ottawa Hydro Personnel, Supervisors, Foremen, Linemen, Technicians, Maintenance Crews, Mechanics, everybody involved during that ice storm of the century.

Thank you so very much for the hard work you had to do, the long hours, the cold conditions that your crews has to endure, in order to maintain and restore our services.

Forever Grateful, with thanks,
Paul
To Ottawa Hydro,

A big thanks to the crews of Ottawa Hydro who are putting in such long hours of work in an effort to restore power in our city. You are much appreciated by both my family and my neighbours.
To Whom It May Concern,

A very warm thank you for the very quick repair of electricity damages due to the ice storm at my residence. It is very much appreciated.
To Ottawa Hydro,

I wish as an Ottawa citizen to send my grateful thanks for the magnificent work you have done in the ice storm. I am very proud to have such excellent service.
During the recent ice storm none of us would have gotten back to normal without you guys.

A big thank-you to all the guys at Ottawa Hydro!
Grade 4 students:

* Thank you for all the help you did for everyone. It helped lots of lives and saved them too

* To the Hydro Workers, Thank you for fixing my electricity. I think you are really brave. Thank you again for helping.
Grade 2 & 3 students :

* Thank you for fixing the cables and for helping us.

* Thank you for fixing the electricity. It was very icy and cold and very dangerous. I know you missed your families and I know you worked very hard and long.

To all Ottawa Hydro Employees:

Thank you for all your hard work during the last few weeks. We appreciate your efforts and determination as you struggled to restore, repair and maintain the power and power lines in the areas.

Thank you,
To All Ottawa Hydro Personnel, Supervisors, Foremen, Linemen, Technicians, Maintenance Crews, Mechanics, everybody involved during that ice storm of the century.

Thank you so very much for the hard work you had to do, the long hours, the cold conditions that your crews has to endure, in order to maintain and restore our services.

Forever Grateful, with thanks,
Paul
To Ottawa Hydro,

A big thanks to the crews of Ottawa Hydro who are putting in such long hours of work in an effort to restore power in our city. You are much appreciated by both my family and my neighbours.
To Whom It May Concern,

A very warm thank you for the very quick repair of electricity damages due to the ice storm at my residence. It is very much appreciated.
To Ottawa Hydro,

I wish as an Ottawa citizen to send my grateful thanks for the magnificent work you have done in the ice storm. I am very proud to have such excellent service.
During the recent ice storm none of us would have gotten back to normal without you guys.

A big thank-you to all the guys at Ottawa Hydro!
Grade 4 students:

* Thank you for all the help you did for everyone. It helped lots of lives and saved them too

* To the Hydro Workers, Thank you for fixing my electricity. I think you are really brave. Thank you again for helping.
Grade 2 & 3 students :

* Thank you for fixing the cables and for helping us.

* Thank you for fixing the electricity. It was very icy and cold and very dangerous. I know you missed your families and I know you worked very hard and long.

User Submitted Stories

My wife and I travelled everyday to Crysler, Ont. and back in support of the villagers as we are both members of the Saint John Ambulance. Sometimes we went via Queensway to get to Crysler and sometimes we had to go via Hwy 31 Which really was a round about way but at least we were able to get through.
My wife often did the cooking in the morning making bacon & eggs and I was the designated driver carrying volunteers and supplies.
The Community Centre was hooked up to a large generator so there was light and had and several beds set up for people to sleep if they so desired but most did not want to be away from their homes, they used the centre as a place to get warm and to get something to eat. It was really heart warming to see the community coming together in their time of need.

George Eaton, Ottawa on January, 05, 2008

My husband Phil Paquette worked at hydro. Since he was working non stop and our house was dangerous to live in because of huge trees surrounding it, I spent most of the ice storm with members of my familly who also lived in our area. With the children I mostly spent my nights at my mothers. One day I left a message to Phil that I was confirming that I was to sleep at my mother that he should come and sleep there. Being the fifth night without power my mothers house was too cold so I sent her with my children to sleep at my sisters.

Before Phil got home I removed the large blankets in the beds of the other bedrooms put them in my mothers bed where I slept alone waiting for Phil. I woke up the next morning when I heard Phil getting up from another bedroom to go back to work I hurriedly got up curious as to why he had slept in the other bedroom. «I saw that your mother was in bed with you therefore I slept in the other bedroom; he replied. Poor you! I said you slept with hardly any blankets for nothing it wasn't my mother in bed with me it was Maggie our dog!

Our hydro came back around the 17th and Phil around the 19th. I was and still am proud to be married to one of our icestorm heroes.

Monique Paquette, Sarsfield Ontario on January, 07, 2008

Gloucester Hydro had received a call from a son whom was in Florida at the time and very concerned about his mother (senior citizen) who was living on her own. John Fetzer had already been to her residence on Mitch Owens Drive and tried to convince her to come in to Gloucester Hydro to get warm and have something to eat but of course she did not want to leave her home. John & I deceided to pack up a dinner for her (catered by Chimo Inn) and return to her residence. Upon our arrival she had tried to light her kerosene heater but it did not ignite and you could smell the kerosene in the house so we advised her not to use it anymore. She was just so grateful for the dinner and assistance we provided to her that day. John frequently checked on her during the ice storm and continued to bring her dinners until the power was restored. It was a great experience for John & I and of course we returned the call to her son to let him know that she was doing ok.

John Fetzer/Debbie Gervais

Debbie Gervais John Fetzer, Gloucester on January, 10, 2008