A major power outage downtown is due to the flooding of a downtown parkade, says Manitoba Hydro.

The Crown Corporation reported the outage at about 8:25 a.m. Wednesday, stretching from the University of Winnipeg to The Bay and beyond.

Hydro’s Bruce Owen told 680 CJOB that the root of the problem is a leak at the Medical Arts Building parkade on Edmonton Street.

Several businesses on Portage Avenue and in the Graham Avenue area appear to be affected. The outage is expected to last until noon or so.

“There’s been a leak, approximately 4-5 feet of water in the basement,” said Owen.

“There’s also an underground electrical vault there with a transformer and other electrical equipment.

“We’ve got crews assembling to isolate that water-logged vault in the parkade to get everybody else up as quickly as possible.”

Global News has also heard reports of a flood New Year’s Day at the Fort Garry Hotel. According to guests at the hotel, the main floor and mezzanine flooded, forcing patrons to wade through water to leave the building.

There was no immediate update about the condition of the hotel or what caused the flood, or if it was related to Wednesday’s outage.

The traffic lights at Portage Avenue and Spence Street were also out Wednesday morning, but caused few traffic delays.

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