Water main break cuts water to parts of Montreal Plateau

The owner of Café Névé on Rachel Street in Montreal’s Plateau borough is furious after a water main break forced it to close for part of the day Thursday.

Construction workers had been digging under ground to fix the ageing water infrastructure, creating a giant hole right in front of the café, as well as several other local businesses.

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They accidentally struck a water main and the burst pipe sent water spouting across the street, freezing quickly in the frigid temperatures.

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The gush of water from the break was so strong that it covered restaurant windows with water and ice.

“The pipe was huge, probably a 12-inch pipe, and the water was gushing out everywhere and everything was frozen around it,” said Luke Spicer, the café’s owner.

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The city said it was forced to cut water in the area — including to the businesses.

Spicer says he asked workers what was happening, but feels he received little sympathy.

“There was very little feeling about it whatsoever,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There was very little feeling about it whatsoever," he said.

Workers at the construction site Friday told Global News that the water main break was an accident and they felt Spicer had blown things out of proportion, adding it’s “not like he lost a million dollars.”

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However, Plateau officials are not claiming responsibility for the break, saying the workers are from a subcontractor hired by Bell to work on the underground lines.

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This is apparently not the first construction-related problem — Spicer says this is the second time in the last eight months that construction workers have dug a giant hole right in front of their front door.

“No one even told us there was going to be construction,” he told Global News.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "No one even told us there was going to be construction," he told Global News.

“We just came in one day and the street was blocked off and they started digging.”

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Another water main break on Montreal’s Park-Extension borough forced traffic to be rerouted Friday morning.

Police were advising commuters to avoid the area near Jean-Talon Street and Acadie Boulevard.

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