Thousands still without power in the GTA after storm

TORONTO – Thousands of residents across the Greater Toronto Area remain without power Wednesday following a messy winter storm that hit the region on Tuesday.

Toronto Hydro says the cause of the power outages was traced to Hydro One transmission issues, pole fires and system issues due to weather.

The utility says Hydro One transmission supply issues were resolved by about 8:30 p.m., but cautioned that the system remains unstable.

“We have extra crews working throughout the night to deal with the high number of power outages and will focus on restoring as many customers as possible by morning,” said Toronto Hydro in a media release.

READ MORE: TTC subway and SRT service disruptions in Scarborough

Toronto Hydro says about 87,000 customers were left without power at one point, but that number had dropped to about 15,000 by late evening.

Toronto Hydro spokesperson Brian Buchan said they didn’t anticipate the extent of the outages.

“This sort of a perfect storm of conditions of salt build up over time, without the appropriate level of precipitation, coupled with weather that actually acts like as a conductor when combined with that salt,” said Buchan.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This sort of a perfect storm of conditions of salt build up over time, without the appropriate level of precipitation, coupled with weather that actually acts like as a conductor when combined with that salt," said Buchan.

Toronto Hydro CEO Anthony Haines said at a press conference Wednesday that the salt used to keep roads clear of ice can sometimes vaporize and combine with the water and ice buildup on hydro poles. The combination of water and salt acts as a conductor and led to nearly 50 hydro poles catching fire overnight.

READ MORE: Snow, rain mix slows rush hour traffic in Greater Toronto Area

Most outages were in eastern, western, and north central Toronto and caused by snow which turned to freezing drizzle and light freezing rain in the evening.

The Toronto Transit Commission says there is currently no subway service between Warden and Kennedy Station as a result of a hydro issue. Shuttle buses are running for the morning rush hour commute.

With a file from The Canadian Press