A significant ice storm over the weekend left thousands without power across Parry Sound—Muskoka, prompting the District of Muskoka to declare a state of emergency.
Southern areas of Muskoka were hit hardest, with freezing rain causing fallen trees, blocked roads and downed power lines. Bracebridge and Gravenhurst also declared a significant weather event due to hazardous conditions.
How are residents doing?
Aaron Hulland, a renter in Bracebridge, said a tree fell outside his home, taking down power lines, denting his housemate’s car and leaving the area without electricity.
“The nights are so cold,” he said. “It’s an older house, too, so it’s pretty drafty.”
On Monday, the building’s landlord worked on connecting their generator to the furnace to provide heat. Hulland and his two housemates, JP Portez and Bonvince Telmo, were out sawing the fallen tree into smaller chunks, collecting branches and cleaning up the debris.
“It’s just a mess,” Hulland said, surveying his neighbourhood, where broken trees, snapped limbs and scattered pine needles blanketed yards and driveways. Although most of the downed power lines had been cleared and set aside, the area remained in disarray.
Gravenhurst resident Norah Fountain captured a photo of a large split tree outside the Gravenhurst Opera House, its branches sprawled out across the entryway and sidewalk.
“It’s just heartbreaking to see the damage spread across the entire area,” she said.
Despite the destruction, Fountain said she wants people to focus on those offering help and expressed gratitude to Sobeys in Gravenhurst for supporting the community. She recognized the staff for making sandwiches and preparing food to go for people.
“A big thank you to Sobeys for opening and helping residents,” she said. “Their staff are working non-stop.”
Huntsville resident Shelley Cotterchio said that apart from some downed branches and fallen trees, she hasn’t noticed any intense destruction.
“We are very lucky compared to other towns,” she said.
How is tree cleanup progressing?
Kyle Post, owner of Caledonia-based Kodiak Tree Services, has crews spread out across the affected areas, including Barrie, Gravenhurst and Bracebridge.
“We’ve seen some very dangerous stuff, like homeowners on their roofs trying to pull down broken branches,” Post said, advising people to leave the dangerous work to professionals. “We don’t need to see people die or have accidents because they’re clearing debris.”
He mentioned while some trees may appear damaged, they are still recovering. As the ice melts, many will gradually straighten, though not completely, and homeowners should give them time to bounce back. However, people should remain cautious, as he warned about the dangers of broken branches still hanging in trees.
“Everyone should be making sure they’re looking up when they’re walking underneath those trees,” he said.
Downed power lines are also a huge hazard, Post said. Even if a home is without power, the lines could still be live. Every downed line should be treated as live unless Hydro One has tagged it, and people should not assume it’s safe just because they’re not receiving power.
When will power be restored?
According to Hydro One’s website: “Crews have restored power to more than 358,000 customers since the start of the storm. We anticipate it will take several days to restore all customers. Stay clear of any fallen power lines. If you spot a fallen line, keep at least 10 metres back, even if it does not appear to be live. Report it to Hydro One at 1-800-434-1235.”
According to a Facebook update from Lakeland Power, approximately 1,921 customers remain without power, primarily in heavily treed rural areas, including Golden Beach, Beaumont Drive, Taylor Road and surrounding neighbourhoods. Estimated restoration times range from noon to 4 p.m. today. For a full list of affected areas and updates, visit outages.lakelandpower.on.ca or text Lakeland at 1-833-867-3777.
According to Elexicon Energy’s website: “The freezing rain caused significant damage to Elexicon’s infrastructure in these communities. Damage is so severe in Gravenhurst that Elexicon prompted an emergency declaration. Estimated time of restoration for Gravenhurst: We are hopeful to have the majority of customers restored by end of day tomorrow and remaining customers by Friday. However, some island customers will be without power beyond Friday.”
— With files from Julian Orlando Chaves
