A citizen of Bas-Saint-Laurent spent nearly two weeks without electricity following the December 23 weather “bomb” which destroyed several poles in the region.

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The power outages strained the patience of many Quebecers who were without electricity for several days, but never as much as that of a citizen of Saint-Paulin-Dalibaire, near Les Méchins, who had to wait 13 days before to be reconnected.

“I have just found the current”, launched Daniel Bouchard, when the Journal contacted him at the end of the day Thursday.

He is the last of the 1,476,300 customers affected by the outage to have been reconnected. In his sector, 13 other properties were also without power, but they were chalets.

Mr. Bouchard indicates that he suspected very well that it would be a long time before the power was restored.

The Hydro-Québec teams had to go to an area that is usually closed.

They had to clear the snow, not to mention all the equipment to carry.

“The line was all crushed. They had a good job to do, ”says the man who was understanding.

Mitt wash

Despite the seriousness of the breakdown, Mr. Bouchard did not leave his residence. A generator powered the bare minimum in his house to live on.

“I had no hot water, only cold water. I washed with the mitten as they say, ”continues the man, laughing. He was able to cook hot meals thanks to his wood stove.

For entertainment, it was also very limited.

“I just had my television and the decoder,” he explains.

During these two weeks “in the dark”, Mr. Bouchard used about forty gallons of gasoline to run his generator.

“It cost me more gas than it cost me electricity,” he says again, laughing.

Although he received a few visitors, he admits to having "found the time long" and to having felt lonely.

“It took a long time,” he continues. I spent Christmas no power, New Year's Day no power. »

This is not Mr. Bouchard's first breakdown. He points out that he has had at least three since the beginning of the fall. But this one was the longest, he ends.