From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 32 of 36
Neighbours Help Each Other
1998
In January 1998, an ice storm coated southern Québec in ice. Trees snapped, wires fell, and more than a million homes were left without electricity. Neighbours shared heat, soup and flashlights.
Look together
What are the neighbours carrying?
An idea to try
Put together a small kit for a power outage: flashlight, blanket, snack, deck of cards. Ask your child who around you would need help.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
In January 1998, freezing rain severely damaged Québec’s power network. As many as 1.4 million households lost electricity. The crisis led to lengthy restoration work and many acts of mutual aid.
The drawing focuses on sharing food and blankets, not technical repairs. People stay away from damaged wires and branches. Ask your child which adults they could turn to for help during an outage.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Imaginary neighbourhood; helping scene with no visible danger, no wire on the ground near the characters.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Hydro-Québec — Il y a 20 ans, le verglas frappait le Québec (in French)January 1998; up to 1.4 million homes without power.
Page prepared on September 19, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Québec’s Great Moments to Colour
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