Extreme Quebec weather recalls ice storm

This is a city that takes pride in how it copes through brutal winters, even if it means dressing like the Michelin man. Better than Toronto, many people boast.

But not this year.

Temperatures have dipped below minus 40C with wind recently, meaning there were clear signs the city's winter survival skills were being pushed to the limit.

Pipes in apartment buildings were freezing up, potholes were opening on Montreal's ice-caked roads and a major water main burst, turning one downtown boulevard into a skating rink.

Worst was the west-end blackout: 27,000 people lost power, a major worry since most Quebecers rely on hydro to heat their homes.

"Quebec has known temperatures this extreme only three times in the last 60 years," declared Sylvie Tremblay, a Hydro-Quebec spokesperson.

Electrical consumption hit a record, as the polar wave seized the province. A blizzard in the Gaspé, where winds were more than 60 km/h, prompted frostbite warnings. Wind-chill pushed temperatures below —50C in Saguenay, forcing schools to close.

To prevent more blackouts, Hydro-Quebec asked customers to turn down thermostats. The utility, close to reaching its maximum power capacity, also did something Montrealers have not seen since the disastrous ice storm of 1998: It cut power to the logo atop its downtown office tower, as an example of how to help prevent an energy crunch.

Premier Jean Charest took the unusual step of asking his ministers to ensure the government is doing all it can to conserve electricity.

Montreal's harsh winter — it has already weathered three major storms this year — is also drawing attention to increasingly Byzantine politics at city hall.

Politicians are bickering over everything from potholed roads to labour disputes that could curb snowplowing.

Councillor Michael Applebaum accused unionized city workers of deliberately working at a snail's pace.

The union denied that but Applebaum claims its Christmas card to city hall proves him right. "On the card was a picture of a major snowstorm, the streets plugged with snow and the greeting read: `We wish you a white Christmas.' They know clearly their job is to remove snow. Why did they send that card?"

But the biggest political headache for Mayor Gérald Tremblay is the usual winter bane for Montreal: the pothole.

Some Montrealers are patrolling the streets with cameras, hunting for monster holes, opening up as cement and asphalt shrink in the cold.

"Montreal's potholes are the worst they've ever been," said Councillor Jeremy Searle, who is running the contest. "One was so big, a student could lie in it. The mayor has to take some leadership on this."