A major power outage is affecting downtown Toronto.
Several blocks in the area of Yonge and Dundas streets, including Yonge-Dundas Square itself, lost power shortly after 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
The massive screens that usually display advertisements in the area are also down.
Several blocks of downtown Toronto are without power after a massive outage on Thursday, August 11, 2022.
Other areas affected by the outage include the Eaton Centre, Toronto Police Headquarters and St. Lawrence.
Toronto Transportation Services said the outage spans at least a four-block radius.
Toronto Hydro’s outage map shows areas within College to Harbor streets and between Sherbourne and York streets are without power, with up to 10,000 customers currently affected.
Toronto Hydro’s outage map shows the impact of a massive power outage in the city center on Thursday, August 11, 2022. (Toronto Hydro)
Toronto police and Hydro One said they are also aware of the outages.
Police remind drivers in the area to treat any intersection without traffic lights as a four-way stop.
The elevators in the area are also affected. In a tweet released Thursday afternoon, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said he is currently stuck in the elevator shaft of a downtown Toronto building.
“Still in here. Terrible time,” he said alongside a picture of inside the lift.
Toronto Fire says it is responding to a number of listed elevator rescues in the city’s core. Additionally, the group says there are wires at Bouchette and Commissioners streets in the city’s Port Lands district, though it’s unclear at this time if that’s the cause of the outage.
POWER OUTAGE: Downtown Core: Toronto police are aware of a power outage affecting the downtown core. This time the cause of the blackout is unknown. Remember to treat intersections as a 4-way stop if the lights are out@TorontoHydro is aware^lb
— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) August 11, 2022
This is breaking news. More to come.