Power outages persist in hard-hit areas after Ontario ice storm [Video]

Ontario’s provincial utility says power has been restored to more than half a million customers since the start of a weekend ice storm but that some hard-hit regions may have to wait until the end of the week.

Hydro One says more than 280,000 homes and businesses were still without power as of Tuesday morning.

Officials say repairs in hard-hit areas including Orillia and Peterborough could take until Friday.

The storm covered roads and other surfaces with ice, causing hazardous driving conditions and damage to trees. Most city facilities and all parks are closed until further notice due to downed trees and unstable branches.

As it moved east, the storm also caused outages in Quebec, though on a smaller scale with 3,000 customers still in the dark, according to Hydro-Québec.

Environment Canada has issued a special …