The information for the following story is from a personal interview with Amberley McDonell and the following Internet site accessed 04/22/03: http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSIceStorm/icestorm_dec15_cp.html

The 1998 Ice Storm

Amberley McDonell is a twenty-four year old young woman from the village of Summertown Station in Ontario. Amberley was in grade 11 when the infamous ice storm hit eastern Ontario, Quebec, western New Brunswick, and some of the northern states of the USA in January of 1998.

The population of Summertown Station is 110 people. "That is when I am away. When I'm home, there's 111," joked Amberley. Summertown Station is located one hour from Montreal.

The ice storm started like any other storm, but people soon realized that it was not an ordinary storm.

Amberley said that everything was ice-covered. Most people stayed close to home since the roads were very icy and dangerous.

Her village was left without electrical power for two and a half weeks. "We ate anything available and used lots of blankets and candles," said Amberley.

Generators were hard to find, but my father managed to get one. "The power was restored the same day he bought it," laughed Amberley.

Businesses kept functioning as normally as possible, but the school was closed and exams were cancelled.