Manitoba Hydro has projected that the snowstorm that recently hit the province could cost over $100 million to repair.
A spokesperson for the utility company noted that the damage to the wood poles, transmission towers and power lines was record-breaking.
“The magnitude of the damage from last weekend’s storm and the challenge of restoring all customers is unparalleled,” spokesperson Bruce Owen said, adding that about one thousand people have been deployed – on top of machinery, equipment, and supplies – to support those affected.
“We can estimate right now the damage of this restoration is looking to be between 80 and 100 million and perhaps more as we go forward,” the representative explained.
More than 1,000 personnel from Manitoba Hydro, SaskPower, Ontario’s Hydro One and Minnesota Power are at work, repairing the damaged systems, CBC News reported; some 1,700 customers are still without power.
Almost 4,000 hydro poles were reported damaged in the aftermath of the storm, and 800 kilometers of power lines were similarly destroyed. Manitoba Hydro has revealed that a third of wooden poles damaged have been replaced.
Similarly, Winnipeg has yet to release specifics regarding how much its clean-up costs will be, but the city has estimated that it will reach tens of millions of dollars.
