May 26 Update Following Saturday’s Severe Weather Event

Hello Kanata North,I’m happy to hear from many more residents that power to their homes has been restored. I do, however, know of some that are still without. If you are unable to contact Hydro Ottawa, please let my team know at k.n@ottawa.ca and we’ll flag your address with our Hydro Ottawa Councillor liaison.

The repairs required as a result of Saturday’s storm are complex with extensive damage to infrastructure across the city. As Hydro Ottawa and Hydro One crews continue to work around the clock, they are unfortunately not yet able to accurately provide estimated restoration times.

Call for Volunteers

The Emergency Operations Centre, in partnership with community agencies launched a volunteer program for residents interested in helping recovery efforts in their community and for those in need. This program will be similar to Cleaning the Capital where we encourage neighbours to clean up their impacted communities. Further information will be available shortly.

Hydro Ottawa Update

Hydro Ottawa continues to use all their efforts to restore power to those in our community who do not have it. As of this afternoon, they had restored 137,000 customers throughout the city, with 43,000 still left to restore. Hydro Ottawa President Bryce Conrad emphasized today that this storm was an event our community has never seen and the damage cannot be compared to anything. They are hoping to have the bulk of the power system up and running by tomorrow night, but this does not mean every single house. He gave a very good explanation of how the restoration process is working. Conrad stated, “Think of it like our own road network, we will have the large arterial roads open for power and we have power running to most, if not all of our communities, but there will be roads and cul de sacs here and there where the power is interrupted because of trees, damage to conductors, or other debris. As an example, last night we floated power to an area that we expected to pick up 1500 customers. In reality, we picked up 1200. The remaining 300 were impacted by trees, debris or damage that we did not see. Those small isolated customers will take additional time to reconnect.”This is a very important point to understand as it helps explain why pockets of our community have power while others still do not. Conrad also acknowledged the issues that Hydro Ottawa had with its outage map. While the map works well in most situations, the amount of outages had a huge impact on the system’s accuracy, which led to its removal from the website. I would like to thank the Hydro Ottawa workers, their contractors, and all those who are helping to restore power in our community.

Emergency Reception Centres

The City has opened several accessible Emergency Reception Centres where residents can access power and services. These centres will be open from 10 am until 10 pm. Locations and hours are subject to change based on community needs.

The following facilities offer power for charging devices, showers, washrooms, food and Red Cross:

The following facilities offer power for charging devices, showers, and washrooms:

The following facility offers power for charging devices and washrooms:

If you have lost access to your well water, bottled water is available at the following locations along with access to fill containers with potable water:

To support residents on home oxygen therapy and who are not able to be serviced in time by their current provider, supplier will support residents with Medical Oxygen needs and device recharging at the following reception centres:

Please bring equipment (oxygen concentrator or portable oxygen concentrator) and a copy of your prescription to ensure you know your oxygen delivery litre flow.

Do you know someone who is vulnerable and in need of assistance after yesterday’s severe storm? Check on them and, if needed, please bring them to an emergency reception centre.

Food AssistanceHave you or loved ones been impacted by the storm and need food support? We know losing a full refrigerator and freezer will be difficult for many, especially with the rising cost of food and many other items. The Kanata Food Cupboard continues to be opened, Monday to Friday from 9 am to noon for families to book appointments. Families can book appointments by calling 613-836-7847. If you need food support don’t hesitate to reach out: https://www.kanatafoodcupboard.ca/contact-us.

Damage to Property

Many residents have reached out inquiring about what do to with damage to their homes, fences, porches and other property and what permits, or other regulations must be followed. Please consult these FAQs from Building Code Services.

Update from the Insurance Bureau of Canada

Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is the national industry association representing Canada’s private home, auto and business insurers. Its member companies make up the vast majority of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance market in Canada.If you require assistance/have questions about insurance, you can contact your insurance representative or IBC’s Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC or via email ConsumerCentre@ibc.ca.

What to do with debris and waste?The City is continuing with regular garbage and recycling collection following the severe storm that passed through Ottawa on Saturday, May 21. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about your waste and debris, and what to do with it.

City crews are working hard to remove items put to the curb, but it will take several weeks before the cleanup is finished. All available resources have been redeployed and as a result, other less-urgent operations may be delayed, like park waste collection and grass-mowing, or sidewalk repair. If you are enjoying lunch in your local park, please consider taking your waste home with you as it may be some time before the City can empty those bins.

What do to with your household wasteExamples: Food packaging, plastics, cardboard, broken glass. Visit the Waste Explorer for more.

How to dispose: Put your household waste to the curb as part of regular garbage and recycling collection, according to the collection calendar. Remember to put broken glass in a separate cardboard box clearly labeled ‘broken glass’ and set it out on garbage day.

What to do with your organic wasteExamples: Food waste or scraps, barbeque ashes, paper coffee cups, soiled paper towels and paper. Visit the Waste Explorer for more.

How to dispose: Organic waste can be disposed of in your green bin. Organic waste gets picked up weekly so you can continue to put out your green bin, according to the collection calendar. Collection may take time due to expected increased volume, so if your green bin is not collected by the end of the day, please take it in and put it back out at the curb the following morning.

The City is carrying out a green bin blitz over the next few days in the neighbourhoods most affected by the storm to ensure organic waste is collected as soon as possible. Visit the Storm recovery webpage for more information on the green bin blitz.

The City has also set up several sites for residents to have ongoing access to organics-only waste dumpsters. Just like you do with your green bin, you are allowed to bag your waste. Visit ottawa.ca for a complete list of dumpster locations. More dumpsters are being added so be sure to check back for up-to-date information.

Please remember that these dumpsters are for organics only. Non-organic materials, like food packaging, should be disposed of separately.

What to do with your storm-related wasteExamples: Shingles, fencing, lawn furniture. Visit the Waste Explorer for more.

How to dispose: Please separate storm-related waste from any trees or branches when you put them to the curb.

The City’s landfill at the Trail Waste Facility, at 4475 Trail Road, is also offering extended hours to accommodate special collections and will waive tipping fees for residents with storm-related materials to support residents with their disposal needs.

What to do with your tree cuttings, branches and brushExamples: logs, large tree limbs, pressure treated wood

How to dispose: If the debris is small enough, you should bring it to curb for collection, provided it does not impede the roadway or pedestrian access. Please separate brush-like tree cuttings or branches from non-organic storm-related waste. If you can, use twine or another organic material to tie branches in bundles of less than 1.2 metres (four feet) in length and 60 centimetres (two feet) in width.

Public Works crews are working to remove large trees and pieces of wood on roads and in parks that are hazardous, or are damaging homes and vehicles, blocking roads, or leaning on residential properties. Large trees, trunks, stumps and root systems that residents have cut down may be placed curbside if possible. While these will not be collected as part of the regular waste collection, the City will pick them up. This collection will take several weeks.

For now, you do not need a permit to remove dead or hazardous trees on your private property where the tree is an immediate threat to public health and safety or will not survive the damage sustained. Photos should be taken before removal to provide evidence of the condition of the tree should there be future inquiries.

What to do with your household hazardous wasteExamples: batteries, un-emptied aerosol containers, propane cylinders, paints and coatings, gasoline

How to dispose: Household hazardous waste can be safely disposed of at participating local retailers during their regular business hours. For a list of retailers who accept returns of household hazardous waste, enter the item in the Waste Explorer.

3-1-1

The City’s 3-1-1 call centre is experiencing very high call volume. Ottawa residents are asked to remain patient as workers respond to calls on a priority basis. Please only call 3-1-1 for urgent issues that are a threat to public safety.

The Hydro Ottawa crews are working diligently to ensure public safety and restore power as soon as possible. Power will be restored initially to large scale outages, followed by smaller ones, keeping safety as the number one priority. If you see a downed power line, stay at least 10 meters (the length of a school bus) away from the wires and from any objects that are in contact with the lines.

Have you lost power?Follow these steps to stay safe:

  • Please reserve the use of 911 to situations where there is risk to public safety and life-threatening emergencies. If there is a downed power line with no injuries and no risk to public safety, please report it via the police non-emergency number at 613-236-1222 or by calling Hydro Ottawa at 613-738-0188.
  • Listen to a battery powered radio to follow the news.
  • Stay away from loose or dangling wires.
  • If there is debris on your property, please refrain from putting it on the sidewalk.
  • Turn off all lights, unplug appliances and electronics, and turn down heating system thermostats. This will help avoid a power surge when electricity is restored.
  • If your house has a sump pump that does not have a backup power supply, clear valuable from the basement in case flooding occurs.
  • If the doors are kept closed, food in freezers will keep for 24 to 48 hours without power, and food in refrigerators will keep for up to four hours. For more information about storing food and water during an emergency, visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website.
  • If you use a fireplace for heat, check chimneys for creosote build-up or debris. Do not leave the fire unattended.
  • Close room doors to keep heat or cool air in a confined area.
  • Use flashlights instead of candles. If you must use candles, place them in a non-combustible container away from drapes and carpet and never leave them unattended.
  • Only use camp stove, and charcoal or gas barbeques outdoors.
  • Only use generators outdoors. Exhaust fumes could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning if they are not properly vented. To prevent exhaust gases from entering the house, operate generators in well-ventilated conditions away from windows and doors, and be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Plug your appliances directly into the generator using properly rated Canadian Standards Association approved cords.
  • Avoid elevator use.

Please visit the City of Ottawa website for further updates and available resources.

An important reminder from Hydro Ottawa

I have heard from so many of you over the last few days and I thank you for taking the time to share your updates and concerns with me. This Saturday I will have table set up outside the Mlacak Centre from 10:00 am- 12:00 noon if you would like to continue the conversation or talk about anything else! We will also be handing out Tick Information Kits, “Slow Down For Us” signs, and other community resources. Drop by to come say hello and talk about the community! Please reach out at cathy.curry@ottawa.ca if you need anything. My team and I will do our best to assist you.Sincerely,Councillor Cathy Curry