Politics

Trudeau takes ATV to get to work during Ottawa-area downpour

A deluge of heavy rain and high winds created a messy commute for workers in the National Capital Region Monday morning, forcing even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take some unconventional measures to get to work.

Prime minister's weekend residence about 26 km from Parliament Hill

The prime minister's official country retreat at Harrington Lake in Gatineau Park, Que. on August 15, 2012.
The main house at Harrington Lake, the summer residence of Canada's prime minister, pictured on a sunnier day. On Monday the road to the home was washed out and couldn't handle cars. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)

A deluge of heavy rain and high winds created a messy commute for workers in the National Capital Region Monday morning, forcing even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take some unconventional measures to get to work.

Trudeau had to climb aboard a John Deere Gator all-terrain vehicle and take back roads from his weekend residence in the Gatineau Hills to make it to the office in downtown Ottawa.

The prime minister took a John Deere Gator ATV, similar to this model, to get to work on Monday. (John Deere)

The road to Harrington Lake, located in the wooded area of Gatineau Hills near Meech Lake, was washed out and couldn't handle cars. Trudeau was picked up by his official motorcade once he got past the washout point.

Other residents weren't so lucky.

The rainstorm has flooded streets, ripped branches from trees and left thousands of residents without power in parts of Ottawa and Gatineau, Que.

Another 20 to 30 millimetres of rain is expected to fall by Monday afternoon, bringing the total precipitation since Sunday to between 75 and 100 millimetres.

With files from David Cochrane