Thanks to Hydro, retail and the city
Thanks, keep calm and carry on Re: Wreckage, resilience, Sept. 25.
While I was affected by the tornado with my power out for only two days, a mere inconvenience compared to what others are experiencing, my heart goes out to those who have had such devastation brought to the lives.
I would like to thank the many emergency crews who have been working tirelessly to restore power and provide safety and security to those who need it. Keep calm and carry on.
Sue Reilley, Ottawa
Investment in hydro imperative
How are those of us who endured power outages this past weekend feeling about our hydro rates now? Without significant continuing investments in maintenance, improved infrastructure and new facilities, we can only expect longer and more frequent electrical system failures in the future.
John Butcher, Ottawa
Ottawa Hydro worked tirelessly
I would like to express my thanks and admiration to the men and women of Ottawa Hydro who have continued to work tirelessly to restore power across our devastated city. We were without power for just over two days and it was a great relief when the lights came back on last night. We gained a renewed appreciation for how much we rely on electricity in our day-to-day lives.
I am sure many of those hydro workers struggling on our behalf were also among the volunteers who went to the Carolinas to help their citizens recover from the ravages of hurricane Florence; another reason we should be thankful for their skill and devotion to duty.
Mike Braham, Barrhaven
Wrong day for a parking ticket
Sunday morning, still without power, I stopped at Kettleman’s Bagel Co. on Bank Street. The huge, mostly unused parking area has a beer store on one side (it was closed) with lots of parking available. On the other side there is one sign covering three marked parking spots for “car sharing.” So I made sure not to park there, and went into Kettleman’s to pick up bagels and hot coffee. I was not there more than five minutes, yet I got a parking ticket.
Really? Who was that mean city official who made the decision to give tickets on a day when the whole city was trying to help people affected by the storm? I’m very disappointed.
At the same time, kudos to city workers for doing their best to restore power. I got mine back Sunday night. Aviva King, Ottawa
Canadian Tire staff came through
This letter is to give grateful thanks to the Canadian Tire Store on Carling Avenue near Churchill Avenue. Realizing that they had a wealth of supplies that would be needed by customers in the aftermath of the storm, the store opened its doors.
Even operating without power themselves, staffers looked after their customers admirably, using manual credit card transactions.
In addition, the staff went out of their way to direct customers to the aisles where the required goods could be found, and had other staff running around with hand-held lighting to assist. Many of us were looking for batteries, flashlights, fuel for camping gear, and so on. We were well served by knowledgeable, helpful and even cheerful staffers, which was a delight in the circumstances. I know that their attitude certainly put a smile on my face.
Management can be proud of the decision to open in the face of adversity and proud of the way staff comported themselves. All the customers in line with me were extremely appreciative of this effort.
Adele B. White, Ottawa
Remember, always carry some cash
This power outage brought back memories of August 2003 when the lights went out and we had to survive without something we all take for granted. My area (Old Ottawa South), was hitand-miss on power outages. Not all traffic lights were working and many small businesses were also a hit.
One lesson emerged: Always carry cash with you. Many stores that were able to open had signs posted on their door saying “Cash only.”
Meanwhile, crossing the street, I was impressed with the drivers who catered to pedestrians and didn’t honk. I salute them, and friends and families who asked if people were OK.
This shows people do care when things happen. It brings out the best in them, and it is a nice feeling. But please do not forget to carry cash.
Anant Nagpur, Ottawa
A political lesson from the tornado
It is encouraging that after the tornado, the leader of the Parti Québécois and the Liberal premier of Quebec jointly visited the Gatineau area hit by the disaster. In such times, we are called on to assist one another, irrespective of party lines.
Severe blackouts bring families much closer together; even distant neighbours become supportive; we fully trust one another. It is in such darkness that the good is often expressed.
This may not be a bad recommendation: When parliamentarians get “out of hand” during question period, the Speaker could use a light-control switch to darken the House, forcing parliamentarians to get back to co-operative work. We can learn much from the tornado for mutual benefit.
Roman Mukerjee, Ottawa
Loss of power was a wake-up call
Our electrical service is something most of us take for granted. Losing it for hours or days as we did on the weekend surely was a shock, as well as wake-up call.
May we salute all hardworking electrical personnel who obviously toiled long and hard to restore our service when and where they could. Thank you all. Judy and Ted Small, Ottawa