Manitoba saves Manderley

Manitoba Hydro crew as they arrive at Freeman and Manderly to restore power.

By Hedy Korbee

The situation was beyond desperate on Manderley Drive around noon on Friday when eight hydro trucks pulled up and unloaded a crew of Manitoba Hydro workers determined to get the power back on.

Residents on the east side of Manderley have been without electricity since the ice storm hit at 2am on Sunday.

Approximately twenty houses were affected as well as some of the buildings in the Kalmar Co-op and St. Nicholas Anglican Church.

Power lines in backyards

Manitoba Hydro foreman Marvin Roos pulled into the co-op, surveyed the extensive damage and when asked if power would be restored soon said “Absolutely, guaranteed!”

It’s believed the delay in getting Manderley back on the grid was due to the fact that the power lines run along the backyards.

Backyards on Manderley were a mess – blown transformer, felled trees and tangled power lines.

Residents say Toronto Hydro crews came by a few times to inspect the blown transformer, tangle of tree limbs and power lines and simply left with a promise to come back.

“Not that big a deal,” said Roos, who comes from the Brandon area of Manitoba.  “In our province most of our stuff is in the back lane”.

Six days without power

Help arrived not a moment too soon for Manderley residents, including Howard Alexander who said he’s got taps running all over his freezing house because his water shut off valve isn’t working.

“You get frustrated, you’re depressed,” said Alexander.  “I’ve got to go into the house now and it’s depressing because it’s like walking into a tomb.”

“Freezing in the dark,” said another resident who asked not to be named.  “I’ve been here 40 years and I’ve never seen anything like this.”  He’s stayed in the house because he’s got three cats.

Santa came to their hotel

Just before the Manitoba Hydro crews arrived, Andy Seymour and Trish Hayhurst were hooking up a generator loaned to them by a firefighter at the Main Street Fire Station, celebrating that the temperature in their house had risen two degrees.

Transformer between a Manderley backyard and the Kalmar Co-op

Seymour and Hayhurst stayed in the house as long as they could but ultimately left for the sake of their three children.

“We huddled up around the fire for a night or so and it wasn’t so bad,” said Seymour.  “We were hoping to save some sort of semblance of Christmas.  But having them cold and scared was just not in the plan.”

In the end, Hayhurst said Santa Claus came to their hotel room where they had hung their stockings.

“We’re not angry,” said Hayhurst. “We’re just hoping it comes on soon. Everyone’s trying their best.  There’s no point in getting mad.  I could go out and scream and yell.  It’s not going to make a difference.  I feel bad for people in warming centres.”

“Hunkered down”

Greg Todd and Doriann Forrester described their situation as “hunkered down, trying to survive”.  They’ve got a wood burning fireplace upstairs, a gas fireplace downstairs, and a borrowed generator running the fridge and keeping their mini reef aquarium running.

Todd and Forrester’s cat staying cosy by the fire

“It’s just been very tiring,” said Todd. “I’ve split an entire cord of firewood.”

Todd’s other problem is sleep deprivation because the generator needs to be shut down every hour to prevent it from overheating.

Forrester added that the ice storm has had a silver lining.

“It’s been really reassuring because the neighbours have really banded together and helped one another. They made sure everyone was OK and helped one another with meals and hot coffee.  It’s been really terrific, she said.”

Note:  Power was restored to Manderly at approximately 1:30pm Friday afternoon.  Scroll down for more photos.

This is why Todd and Forrester were scrupulous about tending the generator – their mini reef aquarium. Six fish and a lot of beautiful coral.

They’re right neighbourly on Manderley. Shot of an extension cord run from the west side of the street, which had power, to the east.

Manitoba Hydro foreman Marvin Roos surveying the damage in the Co-op parking lot.

A hot commodity in Scarborough right now!

The Manitoba Hydro crew arrives in eight vehicles. A sight for sore eyes, for sure.