Crews have been working throughout Saturday to restore power to communities across eastern Ontario and western Quebec following strong winds the night before.

Severe winds Friday evening downed trees and tree limbs, cutting power to tens of thousands of customers.

Crews started repairs across eastern Ontario as soon as the wind died, according to Kaitlyn Forde, a spokesperson with Hydro One.

“There may be a longer estimated restoration time for those harder to reach areas,” she said.

Outages persist in Kingston, Tweed and Perth.

“Each outage where damage has been assessed has their own estimated time of restoration,” said Forde. “These restoration times may shift once crews are on site should they uncover additional damage as repairs are being made.”

Forde warned people to stay at least 10 metres from downed lines and to report them to the hydro company.

“Our crews will not stop working until every customer has their power restored,” she said.

Western Quebec experiences extensive outages

Thousands of people in western Quebec woke up without power on Saturday morning, with about 14,000 still experiencing outages by mid-afternoon.

Around 90 teams are mobilized across the Outaouais region and as in Ontario, crews have travelled from elsewhere in the province to assist.

“People are coming from as far away as Saguenay and the lower St. Lawrence. These teams are here to lend a hand and support the region,” Annie Beaudoin, a spokesperson with Hydro–Québec said in French, adding that power should be restored for most people across the region.

“However, it’s important to understand that some outages could continue until Sunday in certain areas,” she said.