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Power outage in Toronto - 22,000 in west end affected
January 16, 2009 - 7:56am
The borders of the power outage are apparently St. Clair West on the north, Jane St. on the west, Queen Street on the south, and Bathurst on the east.
Strangely enough, I'm within the blackout area, but my street seems to be fine, and I've got power. (I'm just south of St. Clair, just east of Dufferin.)
Oh, yes you do!
But seriously, thanks for this update. It's a cold day to have no power, I hope it's restored soon.
crap, now I've got that infernal song in my head.
I'm close to the blackout zone (less than a block away), I was driving home last night around midnight. When I came off the Gardiner and up to Queen, it was eerie. Just pitch blackness, no streetlights on one side, no lights in the bldgs, no nothin'.
But not as eerie as having that song. Almost as bad as being rickrolled.
I hope everyone without power stays safe and warm.
well I have no heat or power and i woke up in the middle of the night being able to see my breath in my bedroom. For once i was actually counting down the minutes to come to work just to be in a heated office!
They say we may not get power back until later tonight. If that's the case i'm going to the movies after work!
It was weird - when I went to work this morning, some of the streetlights on St. Clair were working and others weren't. Dufferin and St. Clair lights weren't working, but the rest east of them seemed to be. Still screwed the buses up, though. Although on St. Clair, it doesn't take much to screw the buses up. Sigh.
This was the one morning, however, that I was happy to have buses and not (electric) streetcars!
That's frightening, Stockholm. And I think of those who don't have a workplace to go to today. Hope things get sorted out quickly. A movie theatre is not the first place I'd think of for warmth, but you must have a movie in mind.. :)
Touch on wood, I would probably get a small bottle of rum, a blanket, and look for a bonfire.
Ah, the place I was staying at a while ago had an old water heater system (you know, those noisey, yet very visually appealing metal coils in the room). Right now the technical term escapes me. For a few days we were totally without heat. I remember waking up a few times and finding the glass of water I was drinking fairly frosted. My breath in the air. Eh. It blows and I sympathize with these people.
Also, one year during a nice Christmas Eve storm a tree fell on the power lines outside of my home when I was a child. Similar outcome.
I just received these power outage tips from my MP (Olivia Chow). My place in Toronto is just outside of the power outage area (just East of Bathurst), so we are fine:
Power outage tips:
Turn on the lowest tap in your home to avoid water pipes freezing and bursting. Turn off or unplug electronic components and motor-driven equipment, such as computers, fridges, furnaces and pumps.
Don't open the freezer. Food will remain frozen for up to two days in a closed freezer cabinet, if undisturbed. Once thawed, cook food before refreezing. Avoid opening the fridge. Perishables, such as milk, should last six to eight hours, but if in doubt, throw it out. If power is off for more than one day in sub-zero weather, you can transfer food to a cooler stored in an unheated garage or balcony. Don't leave food out in open containers.
Never use a gas stove as a room heater, and don't barbecue inside the garage. If a fireplace or kerosene space heater is used, open a window for ventilation. Otherwise, there is a real danger of death from carbon monoxide poisoning or asphyxiation as an unvented combustion appliance consumes all the available oxygen in the room.
For homes with automatic garage door openers, pull the dangling nylon cord to release the door for manual opening.
If you have a gas-powered generator, don't run it in the garage as deadly carbon monoxide fumes can seep into your home. Always refer to the owner's manual before setting up the generator. Improper installation of a generator can pose a serious electrical hazard to Toronto Hydro emergency personnel. Chain it to a solid object in your backyard to avoid theft and connect a heavy-duty outdoor extension cord.
Listen to your emergency kit radio for updates, but if the indoor temperature gets too cold, head to a heated shelter. Make sure that the stove is off.
If you were using the stove, lamps and other appliances when the power went out, turn them off to avoid possible damage when the power is restored.
Her note says that power will be down at least until this evening. She invites people to come by her office to warm up, and notes that the City of Toronto has opened facilities to help people keep warm until power is restored.
Metro Hall, 55 John Street
Castleview Wychwood Long Term Care, 351 Christie Street
Harrison Pool, 15 Stephanie Street
Trinity Community Recreation Centre, 15 Crawford Street