Four years after the largest blackout in North American history (Aug. 14. 2003) and leading up to the tenth anniversary of the Quebec ice storm (January 1998), a survey reveals that almost two-thirds of Quebecers feel that a prolonged blackout poses a serious problem. Impact Research conducted the survey on behalf of Cossette Communication Group and its clients Bell Canada and Home Depot.

Even though Quebecers remember the blackout of Aug. 14, 2003 - which affected more than 50 million North Americans - the Ice Storm remains the key crisis that has stayed with them. As a result, Quebecers' main concerns during a prolonged blackout are problems such as heating (26%), whereas Ontarians are more preoccupied with their inability to carry on with their everyday routine (24%).

The impact of the blackout of 2003 is still in the minds of Ontarians with over 50% believing they could live through another prolonged power outage in the next two years. Quebecers, on the other hand, seem to have retained confidence in their electricity provider, since less than 30% fear another prolonged blackout in the next two years.

The study also sought to identify what actions people take when faced with a loss of power and about the relative importance they assigned to different goods and services during a blackout.

Most Quebecers (38%) said that they verified the outage by turning on an electrical device, (25%) took a look outside to verify that the blackout extended to their neighbors and (19%) picked up the telephone to call their electricity provider, a friend or family member.

The survey also found that the top six goods and services Quebecers believe to be essential or very important to have during a prolonged blackout were candles and matches, flashlights, heating, appropriate food, drinkable water, and a telephone. The survey also revealed that 62% of Quebecers rated a working telephone as essential or very important. However, one third did not know that cable phones or VoIP-based telephony would not provide reliable service during a prolonged blackout because these technologies depend on power.

Cossette, Bell Canada and Home Depot offer the following advice to Quebecers interested in preparing their homes and families to deal with a prolonged power blackout:

Impact Research is a division of Cossette Communication Group specialized in qualitative and quantitative research, exploratory research and evaluation of marketing and communications activities (surveys, focus groups, etc.)