Laval QC ☕ The morning chat
Good morning! Day 2 of the ice storm, and it’s not over yet. More than 175,000 addresses are still without power this morning, schools remain closed, and the REM is slowly coming back online. If you have electricity to read this, consider yourself lucky. Here’s the latest on the situation and the rest of today’s news.
⚡ Top Story
Ice storm: More than 175,000 addresses without power in Quebec
More than 175,000 addresses were without electricity across Quebec Thursday morning as the ice storm continued to affect several regions.
The largest outages were in Montérégie, where about 80,540 addresses were affected.
Roughly 33,972 customers were without power in Montreal, with additional outages reported in Laval (4,315), the Laurentians (13,743) and Lanaudière, where 24 addresses were without power out of more than 276,000 customers.
The outages come as freezing rain coats power lines and trees across parts of southern Quebec, creating difficult conditions for crews working to restore service.
Authorities warn that outage numbers may fluctuate throughout the day as the storm continues.
Widespread school closures
The ice storm forced school closures across several school service centres Thursday morning.
- The Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes closed all its schools.
- The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board closed Heritage Elementary, Joliette Elementary, Joliette High School and Rawdon Elementary.
- The Marguerite‑Bourgeoys, Pointe‑de‑l’Île and Lester B. Pearson school boards also closed several schools.
REM and airport disruptions
Service on the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) was interrupted early Thursday due to weather conditions linked to the ice storm.
At 5:10 a.m., the network announced a shutdown between Brossard and Gare Centrale. The REM said the disruption was caused by weather conditions and that there was no estimated time for service to resume.
At 8:55 a.m., REM officials confirmed that service was gradually resuming across the network. The next update is expected at noon.
Montréal–Trudeau International Airport continues to experience major disruptions. More than one‑third of all scheduled flights (about 184) were cancelled Wednesday. While some operations are resuming today, dozens of flights remain cancelled this morning.
⚡ The Essentials
Man in his 80s dies in Longueuil, possibly electrocuted
A man in his 80s died after collapsing in Longueuil on Wednesday. Police say he may have been “electrocuted.” The incident happened shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Springfield Street in Greenfield Park. He was taken to hospital in critical condition and later died. Investigators are looking into whether freezing rain played a role.
Jacob Fowler recalled from Laval to face the Senators
Laval Rocket goaltender Jacob Fowler has been called up by the Canadiens after Samuel Montembeault allowed nine goals over his last two games.
Demidov scores the winner as Canadiens beat Senators 3–2
Ivan Demidov scored the game‑winning goal to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 3–2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. Demidov also picked up an assist in the game.
Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Texier scored the other goals for Montreal, while goaltender Jacob Fowler earned the win with 32 saves.
Demidov netted the winner for Montreal (36‑18‑10) with 7 minutes and 20 seconds remaining, jumping on an Alex Newhook rebound to beat Linus Ullmark, who made 20 saves.
Drake Batherson scored both goals for Ottawa (32‑23‑9). The Canadiens, coming off a 3–1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, tied the game earlier in the night on a sequence that began when Slafkovsky rang a shot off the post.
🏙️ The Rundown
New banking rules: NSF fees capped at $10
New rules are now in effect limiting how much banks can charge customers who don’t have enough money in their account to cover a cheque or pre‑authorized payment.
The new Canadian cap on non‑sufficient funds (NSF) fees is set at $10 for personal deposit accounts. Banks are also prohibited from charging more than one NSF fee within two business days for the same account, and from charging any NSF fee when the overdraft is under $10.
The federal government says NSF fees previously reached up to $50. The new cap is expected to save Canadians more than $600 million per year.
Carney heading to Yellowknife, then Norway
Prime Minister Mark Carney is once again travelling abroad, this time to Norway to observe NATO’s Cold Response military exercises as Canada deepens its ties with Nordic countries. His first stop is Yellowknife on Thursday.
Norway’s ambassador to Canada, Hanne Ulrichsen, said Norway invited Carney and convened the heads of government from Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland in Oslo.
Carney will travel to Bardufoss, Norway, on Friday to watch the exercises alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The Norway‑led exercise takes place every two years and involves 25,000 troops from 14 member countries.
Carney is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Støre on Saturday, followed by a visit to a cross‑country ski training centre near Oslo. On Sunday, he will meet with leaders from all five Nordic countries.
He will be the first Canadian prime minister to make an official visit to Norway since 1980.
Carney will then leave Norway for London on Sunday, where he is set to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street on Monday.
Kim Jong Un and his daughter test new pistols
Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter tested new pistols during an inspection of a light‑weapons factory, according to photos released Thursday by North Korean state media.
The official news agency said Kim visited the factory the previous day, where he examined a newly produced pistol model. After testing it on a firing range, he reportedly called the weapon “excellent.”
Since her first public appearance during a long‑range missile test in November 2022, Kim’s daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and about 13 years old, has accompanied him at an increasing number of official events.
Markets fall as oil jumps another 5%
Wall Street markets slipped Thursday morning while oil prices surged another 5% as the war in Iran entered its second week.
S&P 500 futures fell 0.5%, and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 0.6%. U.S. crude rose $4.52 to reach $91.77 a barrel. Brent, the international benchmark, climbed $5.34 to $97.32, after briefly surpassing the $100 mark.
Iran’s actions have effectively halted commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for one‑fifth of the world’s traded oil. In response, the International Energy Agency agreed Wednesday to release 400 million barrels from emergency reserves. It’s the largest release in its history. The United States plans to release 172 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve next week.
Oxford Economics warns that oil prices could climb as high as $140 a barrel if the situation worsens.
Blitz to register 180,000 vulnerable patients
The health networks in Montreal and Laval are running a blitz to register 180,000 vulnerable patients into the primary‑care system. About 58,000 are already registered, but 122,000 still need to be reached by the end of March.
Teams from the CIUSSS, community organizations and pharmacies are actively identifying people without a family doctor and helping them sign up for the Guichet d’accès à un médecin de famille (GAMF), a key step to being matched with a Family Medicine Group (GMF) and receiving individual follow‑up.
China becomes a clean‑energy leader despite its reliance on coal
China has emerged as a global powerhouse in renewable energy, dominating the world’s production of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. Its new five‑year plan confirms massive investments in clean‑energy technologies.
This shift stems from two decades of strategic investment, driven by domestic pollution problems and the need to reduce energy dependence. Today, renewables account for more than 11% of China’s GDP, and the country is both the world’s largest market and the largest exporter of green technologies.
But this progress coexists with a major contradiction: China remains heavily dependent on coal, which still provides 60% of its electricity. The new energy plan sets no firm limits on fossil‑fuel use, sending mixed signals about the country’s climate ambitions.
Muse, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll and Kesha at the Festival d’été de Québec
Organizers have announced a “joyful and festive” 58th edition of the Festival d’été de Québec, featuring major artists from the 1990s.
Quebec inmates confined to cells two hours earlier
Quebec is moving to reduce overtime costs for correctional officers by requiring inmates to return to their cells two hours earlier.
Stéphanie Meunier eligible to seek release
Stéphanie Meunier, convicted of the “heinous” 2008 killing of a four‑year‑old child, will be allowed to apply for release.
Pablo Rodriguez leadership race: Elections Quebec confirms investigation
Elections Quebec has confirmed it is investigating the matter but is withholding details for now.
“I’m on agricultural land but can’t farm!”
A regulatory grey zone in Sainte‑Pétronille has caused major headaches for resident Nicolas Gagné.
Inside the 811 health line in Estrie
The Info‑Santé team fields questions, reassures callers and directs patients through the health‑care system every day.
Canada reaches quarterfinals at the World Baseball Classic
Canada’s win over Cuba secured first place in its group and a quarterfinal matchup against the United States… the first time Canada has ever reached this stage of the tournament.
Ottawa tightens controls on fentanyl‑related substances
New rules governing the import and distribution of chemicals used to produce fentanyl will take effect on April 12.
Ottawa releases $10 million for Jewish community security
Three synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area were targeted by gunfire in less than a week.
Ottawa considering reopening its embassy in Venezuela
Canada closed its embassy in Caracas in June 2019.
Pierre Poilievre travels to the United States but will bypass Washington
This marks his second international trip as Leader of the Official Opposition.
Fourth opposition MP crosses the floor to join the Liberals
Pragmatism is taking over in Ottawa as a fourth opposition MP defects to the Liberal Party.
AI can encourage violent attacks, study finds
According to the study, 8 out of 10 AI systems tested provided assistance to potential attackers in more than half of their responses.
Vaccine hesitancy: empathy over shame
Dr. Elisabeth Marnik, an immunologist and vaccine advocate, says that in an era of growing health misinformation, empathy will always be more effective than shame.
Toronto expecting over one million visitors for the FIFA World Cup
Residents are torn between excitement and concern as the city prepares for the massive influx.
Global aluminum reserves plunge amid Iran war
Worldwide aluminum reserves have dropped sharply since the start of the conflict.
Mystery surrounds Iran’s next Supreme Leader
Mojtaba Khamenei fears he may be a prime target for the United States and Israel. Observers are asking: “Where is he?”
Donald Trump and the Iranian spiral
Paths out of the Middle East war are proving complicated and risky for the U.S. president.
⚠️ Practical Corner
Ice Storm Thursday Morning Update
Conditions remain difficult this Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
Major outages:
- Montérégie: 80,540 addresses
- Montreal: 33,972 customers
- Laval: 4,315 customers
- Laurentians: 13,743 customers
- Lanaudière: 24 addresses
Transport:
- REM: Gradual service resumption underway since 8:55 a.m.
- Montréal–Trudeau Airport: Dozens of flights still cancelled this morning
- Roads: Still slippery — avoid non‑essential travel
School closures (Thursday):
- Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes (ALL schools)
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board (multiple schools)
- CSS Marguerite‑Bourgeoys (multiple schools)
- CSS de la Pointe‑de‑l’Île (multiple schools)
- Lester B. Pearson School Board
If you have electricity, stay home. If you don’t, find a safe, warm place. Conditions should gradually improve throughout the day.
Stay safe!
👋 To wrap up
The storm is winding down, but its impacts are still being felt.
More than 175,000 addresses remain without power, schools are closed, and transportation is disrupted. It is one of those days when being warm and safe at home feels like a luxury. If you have heat, power and a roof over your head this morning, count yourself lucky.
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and courage to everyone working to restore services. ☕❄️