Intense cold weather sweeping across Canada on Saturday has led to utility companies issuing alerts to customers and airlines having to postpone or cancel flights. Residents from the Atlantic provinces to the Prairies are enduring a bone-chilling cold snap, with some parts of the Prairies expected to see temperatures plummet to as low as -55°C with wind chill factors.
In Ontario, both Toronto and Ottawa experienced wind chill temperatures dropping below -30°C, prompting the extension of hours or the opening of additional spaces at warming centers in Hamilton due to high demand. Officials in Montreal reported occupancy rates at warming centers exceeding 90%.
Calgary police reported over 140 collisions within the city, attributing the high number to the snowy conditions prevailing. Nova Scotia Power urged customers to conserve energy as temperatures plunged into minus double digits, leading to higher demand for heating that pushed the power system to its warning phase.
Officials from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro echoed a similar caution, warning of potential rotating outages due to insufficient electricity to meet demand. At Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, more than 20% of the 900+ flights arriving and departing between Friday and Saturday were canceled, with an additional 20% facing delays.
Passengers like Guilherme Holtz and his family, traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Quebec City, encountered delays, with their connecting flight canceled and a subsequent rebooking for a later flight. Airlines like Air Canada and WestJet issued notices about delays caused by extreme cold in Toronto, Montreal, and other affected airports, offering customers the option to rebook without extra charges.