Daily Brew‘Hanging on by a thread,’ Toronto mayor calls for post-storm energy conservation
Residents of Toronto woke up on Tuesday to find the city had survived fairly well after a sudden evening storm that shut down public transit, overran roads and highways and left thousands of residents without power overnight.
"Toronto has persevered, we have weathered the storm," Ford said, before underlining the next stages of recovery. Namely, taking the stress off the city's power supply.
"It is crucial we all reduce our electricity today to help relieve the strain on our hydro system. We are hanging on by a thread right now," Ford said at a Tuesday press conference.
Hydro officials underlined that need, urging residents to find a way to save some 200 megawatts of power – about 200 large condominium buildings.
Power was being cut back to Toronto Hydro's key partners, such as city hall and other municipally-run facilities, to help survive the shortage.
[ Geekquinox: Toronto storm sets record amid flooding, traffic chaos ]
Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli similarly called for energy conservation on Tuesday, calling it "the best way we can preserve reliability" during the recovery efforts.
For those looking for leadership, "turn the lights off" might not satisfy. But in the wake of such a powerful natural event, the little things are what matters.
Keep calm, carry on and shut off your air conditioner.
[ Political Points: Torontonians praise Nenshi, slam Ford during storm ]
The big questions will have to wait until the city is through the worst of it. And while it was not clear what concerns Ford had about the city's response, it was clear he felt something could have been handled better.
“It wasn’t so much concerning me, it was the taxpayers. Basements were flooding, people were panicking last night. They hydro wasn’t coming back,” Ford said. “They need answers and as the mayor I can only do so much.”
Ford, who at various times during the press conference called the city's response "great" or "satisfactory", said he would call for a complete review of the city's emergency services practices.
He said there was always room for improvement, suggesting there had to be a better way to get the word out to residents suffering from power outages.
Other notes from Ford's press conference:
"I was personally at someone’s basement. There was four feet of sewage in his basement. It was hard to get answers.”
“When there is a blackout, TVs weren’t working, radio isn’t working. It is hard. It was hard to communicate. A lot of people were in their car trying to get information.”
"None of us can predict what Mother Nature is up to, but it seems to me to me over the years we are getting more rain. So, if history was to say, I would think that we'll probably get more rain this summer."
"We do need infrastructure, we just need to fund for it. This is not the time to get into politics... but when it has been neglected for years, this is what happens."
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