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Power restored to 66,000 customers — 27,000 customers remain without power; customers warned to stay away from downed power lines

September 26, 2006 — Hydro One crews continue to work to restore power to customers in the Georgian Bay area following Sunday's severe wind storm. Local weather hampered restoration operations in the area on Monday.

Approximately 600 Hydro One workers have been mobilized and deployed in the Georgian Bay area to assess and repair the damage resulting from the wind storm. Line maintainers and foresters are replacing broken poles and removing trees from lines to restore safe, reliable electricity to customers in the area. Five helicopters are working throughout the region to assess damage, move crews and transport equipment into remote areas.

The wind caused widespread damage knocking large trees down on lines, breaking poles and crossarms and toppling lines. An Environment Canada weather station in Parry Sound recorded winds above 100 km/h.

"Our crews are reporting a considerable number of downed lines in the Georgian Bay area," said Myles D'Arcey, Senior Vice President, Customer Operations, Hydro One. "Hydro One strongly urges people to take extra precaution should they discover fallen power lines on their properties. Even if a fallen wire is not sparking, it may still be energized and dangerous. People are urged to report to Hydro One the location of the fallen wires as soon as possible."

Important Safety Information

Hydro One strongly urges people to take extra precaution near fallen power lines. Even if a fallen wire seems dead, it can be dangerous. People are urged to report to Hydro One the location of the fallen wires as soon as possible. Touching a vehicle that is in contact with a power line can be fatal.

Restoring Power to Customers with Customer-Owned Equipment

Hydro One advises customers that their privately-owned electrical equipment may have sustained damage in this week's storm. If you know that your customer-owned equipment is damaged, you will need to hire a qualified electrical contractor to undertake necessary repair work who will then arrange for the required ESA inspection and Hydro One reconnection to restore your power.

For the most recent information on power outages go to www.HydroOneNetworks.com.

Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's 28,400 kilometre high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 122,000 kilometre low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.3 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.

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For more information and to make arrangements for photography, contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868. Our web site is www.HydroOne.com.