Toronto ice storm: Outages continue on the day before Christmas
Mayor Ford says getting all power back by Christmas Day 'not going to happen'
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- About 85,000 Toronto customers are still without power.
- Mayor Rob Ford says having all power restored by Christmas 'won't happen.'
- More help from Manitoba and Michigan on the way.
- 2 dead and many taken to hospital following CO-related poisoning as people try to heat their homes
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said that restoring all power by Christmas Day is "not going to happen," as the fight continues to get the lights back on for hundreds of thousands of Toronto residents who lost power in the wake of the weekend ice storm.
"We'd like to say this will be done tomorrow, that's not going to happen, folks," Ford said to reporters Tuesday.
"We are going to aim, to do our best for Thursday or Friday. "Temperatures should warm up starting tomorrow, it will make it easier, but unfortunately tonight will be cold."
The Toronto Transit Commission sent out a notice just after 5 p.m. informing people that service along the Sheppard subway line had resumed for the first time since a weekend storm shutdown the service.
As of Tuesday night Toronto Hydro said there were about 85,000 customers left without power.
The mayor said Scarborough was the hardest hit by the storm and subsequent outages, adding that North York and Etobicoke were also badly hit.
Police and fire officials also spoke at the news conference Tuesday, informing the public on the immense dangers of using certain gas appliances in the home for heating after a near record-number of calls were made to emergency services last night regarding carbon monoxide poisoning — including two deaths in Newcastle, Ont.
- 2 dead from CO poisoning following ice storm
- Ice storm brings out the MacGyver in camped-out Canadians
On Monday, Toronto Hydro reported that the number of total outages had dropped to just below 200,000, about two-thirds the total at the height of the storm.
The mayor, the premier and other officials have urged residents to stay safe and to check on the well-being of elderly people and others in need.
The city is operating a number of warming centres across the city. There are now 14 centres for anyone seeking warmth, food or rest.
Ford also thanked Police Chief Bill Blair for opening up police stations as warming centres.
So far, there has been no move to declare a state of emergency in the City of Toronto.
The ice storm was among the worst of its kind to hit the city in recent memory.
It left the city’s transit system with major problems throughout much of the weekend, particularly the streetcars which were suspended from service for a number of hours on Sunday.
The ice that fell also weighed down the branches of trees, which then fell onto cars, buildings and power lines.