Following our article, Hydro-Québec contacted the young couple who made headlines yesterday. His house in Saint-Bruno, a small town in Lac-Saint-Jean, will be connected in less than a month, the 1is avril.
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The Journal reported yesterday that Jonathan Blanchet and his spouse, Catherine Lemaire, have been waiting for 20 months for their residence to be connected. They have been wandering from one Airbnb to another since December 31, since the lease of their apartment is over.
Their promoter made the connection request on July 5, 2021. Electricity was to arrive, according to Hydro-Québec, in the summer of 2022. The deforestation and planting of poles were done by Hydro-Québec subcontractors , but the connection is still pending.
great relief
“It’s a great relief! said Jonathan Blanchet, who received the long-awaited call from Hydro-Québec yesterday. “We plan our Airbnb rentals until the 1is April, but then it’s over. “. According to him, it is above all a problem of communication among the various people with whom he has dealt at Hydro-Québec.
But the Hydro technician who spoke to him yesterday “was very professional. Customer service was great,” he adds.
Hydro-Québec defends itself
In this case, a network extension, Hydro-Québec proposes a route for the line and it is then the customer’s responsibility to obtain the necessary easements.
“This step is essential. Hydro-Québec cannot legally begin work of any kind without authorization,” specifies Caroline Des Rosiers, of Hydro-Québec.
“However, obtaining easements by the client took longer than expected, which partly explains the delays. As soon as the easements were obtained, work began. These are ongoing and are complex. They will be completed over the next few weeks,” she says.
