The City of Montreal is moving into recovery mode on Tuesday, six days after a major ice storm wreaked havoc on the city, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands.
During an afternoon press conference, civil security officials warned that emergency shelters would be closing today.
Those on the island of Montreal who are still without power and who need assistance can call 311 for help. Alternatively, those in demerged cities or those who are having trouble getting in touch with the service can call 514-872-0311.
“We’ll be verifying addresses and if you still have no power, we’ll make sure that you are not left behind,” said Richard Liebmann, head of the Montreal fire department.
Meanwhile, work crews continued clearing streets and sidewalks of branches that have fallen across the city.
Although it is still too early to assess the extent of the damage, the City of Montreal said it has been inundated by calls to 311 city services.
Since the beginning of the ice storm, the city has recorded more than 920 reports of fallen trees and 4,560 requests for broken branches.
Usually during the same period, barely a dozen reports are fielded by the city for fallen branches or trees.
The City of Montreal said this early assessment is “significantly undervalued considering that the figures presented do not include data from the parks.”
Six days after the storm, work to clear public spaces continues around the clock in most areas of the city.
“During this long weekend, more than 1,000 workers have been working on the clearing operation. We’re starting to catch up but there is still places where we need to pick up the branches,” city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said.
That being said, officials urged caution for anyone wandering in city parks as there is still a risk of falling branches.
“Stay on marked paths and don’t walk under trees,” said Alain Vaillancourt executive committee member responsible for public security.
The maintenance of trees along streets and in local parks is the responsibility of the boroughs.
Professionals such as forest engineers, arboriculture inspectors and pruners are being tasked with assessing the damage.
Trees that pose immediate security challenges are felled, according to the city.
It is not yet known how many trees were knocked down as a result of the storm.
The wood is being collected and transformed into wood chips for various uses such as the manufacture of chipboard used in construction.
— with files from The Canadian Press