We had a microburst and high winds that spawned 2 tornadoes. One ran across a place called Kinburn, tracked across Dunrobin (flattened it) and headed across the river to Gatineau. The second hit 1 of 2 primary transformer stations and leveled it. That killed power transmission out to a large section of the city and it needs to be brought online before anything else gets patched up.
I have obviously not been following the news. Hope all the Otta-Dopers are okay.
I think all Ottawa area dopers came through this OK. Thousands of people may not have power restored for days.
The local MPPs have been great in providing locations for free food and showers, etc. And, of course, the affected communities are pulling together to help one another.
Quite a few houses were completely flattened about 13 Kms from where I am.
Unlike during the Great Ice Storm of '98 or the Lesser Ice Storm of '18, we dodged a bullet this time. Power was out for about an hour, some more poplar crap in the back yard - that was about it. Very glad that we took out an old blue spruce that had been damaged in a previous windstorm, as it would have ended up in our living room this time.
Friends in Arlington Woods, Dunrobin and Gatineau weren’t so lucky - roofs lost and trees down. Everyone is pulling together but it’s going to be a long haul back to the “new normal”.
Honestly the weather over the weekend - sunny, warm and clear - kept this from being bad. Cold and damp would’ve made recovery so much harder and for those with destroyed or damaged homes a more miserable experience.
Glad to hear that the Ottawa Dopers and their neighbours are okay. I’ve been watching the news, and looking at the devastation. I hope it all works out fine, though I understand that rains are now threatening to dampen houses without rooves, and so on.
Keeping you all in my thoughts.
My son and I are thinking of renting a cabin on a lake in Ontario during our Thanksgiving week (November 18 - 24). The lake is called La Cloche Lake (46.151029, -82.060759). Want to do some hiking, boating, and perhaps a little fishing. Is this a dumb idea? Anyone have any idea what the temperature will be like?
You’ll be cold, but the lake (most likely) won’t be frozen.
The Spanish/Sudbury area in early October should be nice. Cool days (50-60f) and colder nights but no snow unless you are unlucky.
Usually Canadian Thanksgiving is a week or two after peak colours in that area, but is still an excellent weekend for hiking and paddling. Typically it will be cold at night and cool in the day (long sleeves and carry a jacket). Weather can be a bit unsettled, so hope for a warm day, expect a cool day, but be prepared for a cold blustery day.
Pretty hard not to have a very enjoyably Canadian Thanksgiving there.
Ah! Missed the fact you’re planning on coming up for American Thanksgiving. That’s going to change things to a low 40s for the day and mid 20s for the night (F not C). With good weather it’ll be lovely and with wet stuff…well a fireplace and some drinks is a nice deal as well.
Yes, but he’s asking about coming during American Thanksgiving, not Canadian. Late November strikes me as too cold for enjoyable canoeing.
Excellent. Thanks for the replies!
Should I but some bear repellant spray for hiking?
Very close election in New Brunswick: PCs 22, Liberals 21, People’s Alliance and Greens, 3 each.
25 needed for a majority, but take out the Speaker and it’s really 26 for a majority.
The Lieutenant Governor may have some interesting decisions.
It appears the Lieutenant Governor is allowing the Liberals to continue on. I predict their reign will be a short one this time around.
Really? I can see the Greens lining up with the Liberals but I’ve no idea where the People’s Alliance sit. I thought the PC/Liberals might try a joint run but maybe not.
It’s not really worth going out of your way, no. Bear spray is the tool you use if you have done everything else wrong. In any case, November is when they’re looking for a place to hibernate; some will already be tucked in.
Ontario has only black bears. I wouldn’t want one in my house or anything, but they are nothing at all like a brown bear. Just walk away if you see one, keep the food stowed away and you’ll be fine.
American Thanksgiving? It will likely be just a little below freezing in the days, so bring warm clothes, including outer wear that will protect you from rain/sleet, 'cause cold and wet is a bad combo.
The leaves will be on the ground, but there are lots of evergreens in the area. You might get a dusting of snow, but not a snow storm.
Although there may be a bit of thin ice in sheltered bays, the lake will be open.
If you are an experienced paddler who has the knowledge, experience and equipment to survive sudden cold water immersion, then by all means enjoy paddling on the lake, but if you cannot check off all of these criteria, then either stay off the water, or do not go more than a paddle’s length from shore. If you are about to have a dunking, close your mouth and tuck your chin and your upper arms to your chest before you hit the water so that you don’t seize up and drown. Then swim like hell for shore. You’d be surprised at how quickly you loose coordination and strength in near freezing water.
Bear spray? Might be more trouble than it is worth if you intend to bring it across the border. Odds are that the bears will not harm you. Yes, a bit to the east last year a bear chewed on a woman’s head (she’s OK), and I’ve run into a bear as well as regularly come across bears in the area, but to be honest, black bears are not at all comparable to polar bears or grizzly bears. In Ontario about one person a decade is killed by a black bear, so don’t sweat it if you don’t have any bear spray.
Make sure you have a map and a compass, and that you know how to use them, for getting lost overnight would be survivable but would not be enjoyable.
Have fun!
The problem for both the big parties is that they each would need both of the little parties to get to a majority, when you take the Speaker into account.
But the Lt Gov did the right thing - in a situation like this, the current Premier has the right to face the house and see if he’s got confidence of the House, just like Clark did in BC last year, and Miller did in Ontario in 1985.
So, anyone taking bets on whether we’ll have a new Gov Gen any time soon?
The events in BC last year, and in New Brunswick now, certainly demonstrate that maybe, just maybe, the person appointed to those positions should have some familiarity with the Constitution.