A major power outage caused by a work crew at an east-end Hydro-Quebec substation Tuesday morning turned the lights off for more than a quarter million Montrealers as the rush hour drew to a close.
The crew accidentally cut through a cable at the Bout de l'Ile substation just after 8:45 a.m., cutting off power to much of the northern and eastern parts of the island, and causing the metro's blue line to shut down for more than an hour.
Police were sent to major intersections after the blackout knocked out traffic lights.
At its peak, about 270,000 homes and businesses were affected. By noon, that number was knocked down to about 61,000. Power was fully restored by mid-afternoon.