MTLQC – Montreal QC
Montréal QC ☕ Morning Chat
Good morning, Montréal.
We hope you’ve got power to read this on Thursday morning, because the ice storm left a serious mark across the region.
Between the massive outages still affecting tens of thousands of households, the transportation disruptions making travel difficult, and a few developments worth your attention, today’s edition is very much a post‑storm roundup.
Take a good sip of coffee and let’s see where things stand.
🔦 Main Story
More than 175,000 addresses without power in Quebec after the ice storm
The morning after the storm isn’t easy for everyone. More than 175,000 addresses were without electricity Thursday morning in Quebec as the ice storm moved across several regions.
Outages were highest in Montérégie, where about 80,540 addresses were affected. Around 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 in parts of southern Quebec, creating difficult conditions for crews working to restore service. Authorities warn that outages may shift throughout the day as the storm continues.
Although Environment Canada lifted its freezing rain warning around 5 a.m. Thursday, the storm was far from over for hundreds of thousands of Quebecers. More than 200,000 Hydro‑Québec customers , including about 31,000 on the Island of Montreal, were still without power due to a combination of freezing rain and strong wind gusts.
Ice‑covered ground and slippery conditions are creating major challenges for restoration efforts and for daily life in affected communities.
⚡ The Essentials
REM shutdown, dozens of flights cancelled due to the ice storm
Service on the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) was halted early Thursday because of weather conditions linked to the ice storm. At 5:10 a.m., the transit network announced a service interruption between Brossard and Central Station. The REM said the disruption was caused by the weather and that the timing for full service resumption was still unknown.
As of 8:55 a.m., REM officials confirmed that service was gradually resuming across the network. The next service update is expected at noon.
Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) continues to face major disruptions following the severe ice storm. More than one‑third of all scheduled flights (about 184) were cancelled on Wednesday. While some operations are resuming today, dozens of flights remain cancelled this morning.
Widespread school closures Thursday due to the ice storm
The storm left more than 175,000 addresses without power Thursday morning, forcing school closures across several service centres. Multiple school boards and individual schools announced closures due to the weather.
The Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes closed all schools. The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board closed Heritage Elementary, Joliette Elementary, Joliette High School, and Rawdon Elementary.
The Marguerite‑Bourgeoys service centre closed Académie Saint‑Clément, Jacques‑Bizard Elementary, École de la Mosaïque, and Sainte‑Geneviève Ouest Elementary. The Pointe‑de‑l’Île service centre also closed several schools.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board closed all schools.
Icy road conditions and power outages forced many schools to shut down for the day.
Carney travels to Yellowknife and Norway for northern defence‑focused trip
Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading abroad to Norway to observe NATO’s Cold Response exercises as Canada deepens its ties with Nordic countries. He will first stop in Yellowknife on Thursday.
Norway’s ambassador to Canada, Hanne Ulrichsen, said Norway invited Carney and brought together the heads of government from Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland in Oslo so Carney could advance efforts to strengthen trade and energy ties with the five Nordic nations.
Carney will travel to Bardufoss, Norway, on Friday to watch the military exercises with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The Norway‑led NATO exercise takes place every two years and involves 25,000 troops from 14 member countries.
Carney will hold a bilateral meeting with Støre on Saturday. On Sunday, he is scheduled to 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 is set to leave Norway for London on Sunday. In the U.K., he is expected to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street on Monday.
New federal rules cap NSF fees at $10
New rules are now in effect limiting how much banks can charge customers who don’t have enough money in their accounts to cover a cheque or pre‑authorized debit. The new Canadian cap on non‑sufficient funds (NSF) fees is set at $10 for personal deposit accounts.
The changes, announced by Ottawa last year and taking effect Thursday, also prohibit banks from charging more than one NSF fee within a two‑business‑day period for the same account, and ban NSF fees when an account shortfall is under $10.
The federal government said NSF fees previously reached as high as $50. The new cap is expected to save Canadians more than $600 million per year.
ACORN Canada welcomed the new rules, calling them a “major victory” for members “who have long been exploited by these fees.”
Canadian airlines raise prices as jet fuel costs surge
Some Canadian airlines, including Air Transat and Air Canada, are increasing fares as the war in Iran tightens global oil supply, driving up the cost of jet fuel.
Air Transat is charging more for flights to Europe, and Air Canada is adjusting its prices as high jet fuel costs, triggered by a Middle East oil crisis linked to the war, weigh on Canadian and international carriers.
Oil prices jump 5% as Iranian attacks worsen supply concerns
Wall Street markets fell and oil prices jumped another 5% early Thursday as the war in Iran approached its second week. Prices initially surged more than 9% as supply concerns intensified following Iranian attacks on commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. benchmark crude rose $4.52 to $91.77 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed $5.34 to $97.32 after briefly topping $100.
Iran has escalated its attacks in an effort to create enough global economic pressure to push the U.S. and Israel to end the war. The actions have effectively halted freight traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where one‑fifth of the world’s traded oil passes.
The International Energy Agency agreed Wednesday to release 400 million barrels of oil to counter the war’s impact on energy markets. The U.S. plans to release 172 million barrels next week from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Iraq has closed its ports following an Iranian attack on two oil tankers.
Blitz to register 180,000 vulnerable patients in Montreal and Laval
The health network is launching a blitz to register 180,000 vulnerable patients by March 31, as required under the agreement between Quebec and the FMOQ. Another 122,000 people still need to be reached this month.
Most of these patients are not registered with the family doctor waitlist (GAMF), making it harder to coordinate their care. CIUSSS networks, community groups, and pharmacies are stepping up efforts to identify these individuals and help them register.
Once registered, patients will receive an initial appointment and then be matched with a doctor or GMF for ongoing care tailored to their needs.
Rapper K’naan to testify in his own sexual assault trial in Quebec City
Rapper K’naan, whose real name is Keinan Abdi Warsame, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Quebec City hotel room in 2010.
The alleged victim maintained her version of events during cross‑examination Wednesday, stating that the artist assaulted her while she was asleep.
The Senate warns English‑language health care access in Quebec is “fragile”
“When you’re sick, you’re not bilingual”: the Senate is warning that access to English‑language health care in Quebec is “tenuous.”
A cancer patient must travel 800 kilometres round‑trip every week for five weeks to reach a hospital that offers even limited services in English.
Pierre Poilievre preparing to travel to the United States
Pierre Poilievre is getting ready to travel to the United States — without stopping in Washington.
It will be his second international trip as Leader of the Official Opposition.
🏙️ Local Stories
20‑year‑old man charged with second‑degree murder in Montreal
A 20‑year‑old man has been charged with second‑degree murder at the Montreal courthouse in connection with the death of a man in his sixties.
The victim and the suspect share the same last name, but police are not commenting on whether they are related.
Gunshot victim walks into hospital on their own
For the second time in a week, a gunshot victim showed up at a Montreal hospital seeking medical help.
Demidov scores the winner as the Canadiens beat the Senators 3–2
Ivan Demidov scored the game‑winning goal to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 3–2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. Demidov also recorded an assist.
Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Texier scored Montreal’s other goals, with goaltender Jacob Fowler earning the win with 32 saves. Demidov netted the winner for Montreal (36‑18‑10) with 7:20 left, 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 on a sequence involving Slafkovsky, Michael Amadio and Fowler.
Montreal’s Jake Evans played his 400th NHL game Wednesday. In his return with the Canadiens, Fowler made 32 saves to secure the 3–2 win at Canadian Tire Centre.
MUTEK unveils its first 2026 programming announcement
Legends of electronic music, contemporary beat‑makers, sound‑art innovators and a wide range of digital artists will converge on Montreal for the MUTEK festival, running August 25–30 across indoor venues and outdoor stages in the Quartier des Spectacles.
MUTEK released its first programming announcement for the 2026 edition, focusing on international artists (Quebec and Canadian artists will be announced later).
Among the many names revealed are Detroit techno pioneer Jeff Mills, A Guy Called Gerald, Rival Consoles, Berlin producer JakoJako, Ben UFO, San Francisco sound artist Evicshen, Matthew Herbert, Italian duo Voices From the Lake, St. John’s producer Cleo Leigh and Munich‑based producer Polygonia.
🚨 Practical Corner
Check your power status and plan accordingly
If you’re among the tens of thousands of Montrealers still without electricity Thursday morning, check Hydro‑Québec’s website for updates on restoration efforts. Authorities warn that outages may shift throughout the day.
If you do have power, now is a good time to check in on neighbours who may still be in the dark.
REM service gradually resuming
REM service is gradually resuming after an early‑morning shutdown Thursday. The next service update was scheduled for noon.
Check the network status before heading out to avoid surprises.
Flights still disrupted at Montréal‑Trudeau Airport Although some operations are resuming Thursday, dozens of flights remain cancelled this morning at Montréal‑Trudeau Airport following the ice storm.
Check your flight status before heading to the airport.
Icy conditions still hazardous
Even though the freezing rain has stopped, the ground remains coated in ice in many areas, making walking and driving risky. Use extreme caution. Surfaces may look clear but remain very slippery.
Challenging conditions also persist for crews working to restore power, which may slow repairs and extend delays.
👋 Before we wrap up
That’s where things stand on this post‑storm Thursday morning. Between the massive outages still affecting tens of thousands of households, the transportation disruptions complicating daily life, and several political and economic developments worth noting, you’ve got a full picture of the day.
Stay safe, look out for those still without power, and take care as Montreal gets through this recovery day. ☕