A class action lawsuit has been filed against Hydro-Québec following a major power outage that left thousands of residents in Montreal’s west end without electricity for days during extreme cold. The outage, caused by a failure at the aging Hampstead substation, knocked out power to large parts of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Côte-Saint-Luc and Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce beginning the morning […]
I understand how this can all be a major issue to deal with, and can even be lethal, but I fail to see how it’s Hydro-Québec’s responsibility to make sure pipes don’t freeze in people’s homes.
Does HQ have any obligation to provide constant service to residential customers?
Hydro-Québec knew that the substation was failing as early as 2018 and chose to keep it running despite its known condition this is a gross negligence that Hydro Quebec should be held accountable for it especially during -35 degree Celsius .
We were without power for 48 hours. We were lucky enough to have a generator, I spent probably about $60 on fuel to keep my unit just barely above zero (heater said 3 degrees celsius).
People fled to their friends and families. Two elderly people died. Many more had nowhere to go and suffered.
As you said, HQ knew this substation was failing for years, and chose to do nothing until people died. And even then, I’m not sure they’re gonna learn anything from this event.