The northern Ontario town of Hearst, northwest of Kapuskasing, has declared a state of emergency due to a power outage on a day with extreme cold temperatures.
Outside temperatures on Monday were around -30 C in the town of 5,000 people.
Local fire chief Jean-Michel Chabot told CBC News that most people in the community, though, do have generators at their homes.
“The last news we received from Hydro One was it’s [power] coming back at 1 a.m.,” he said.
In a news release, Ontario Provincial Police advised residents in the community to take precautions to stay warm, and safe, during the power outage.
“Do not use propane appliances or generators indoors. These devices can produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, which is odourless, colourless, and potentially fatal,” the news release said.
The OPP said that people who cannot keep warm at home can go to the Hearst OPP detachment, where the conference room has been opened to the public as a warming centre.
