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Majority of Hydro One customers reconnected

Toronto, November 15, 2003 (Update) - About 9,800 Hydro One customers remain without power as crews from across the province work to restore power in the communities hit the hardest during Thursday's severe windstorm. A majority of these customers should have power back this evening while about 700 water access and remote customers might not have service restored until Sunday.

Restoration efforts are now concentrated in the Clinton, Walkerton, Huntsville, Bancroft and Cobden areas. Darkness will prevent Hydro One's crews and helicopters from restoring power for water access and remote customers in the Penetang, Parry Sound, Dorset, Kawagama Lake and Algonquin Park areas.

Hydro One is concerned that no one be missed in the restoration effort. Customers without power who have not already called in, should call 1-800-434-1235 to ensure their power outage is registered.

At the height of the storm on Thursday over 160,000 Hydro One customers were out of power. Hundreds of poles were snapped, many kilometres of conductor and other electrical equipment such as insulators, switches and transformers were damaged and broken. Much of this devastation was in off-road, hard to reach locations.

Over 2,500 Hydro One staff are involved in the restoration effort assisted by staff from other utilities who have responded to our requests for help.

Hydro One Networks owns and operates the province-wide electricity high voltage transmission network and largest low voltage distribution system in Ontario that serves over one million end-use customers. Hydro One is wholly-owned by the provincial government.

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For more information, contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868.