1) Ice Storm Updates

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Newsroom, April 4, 2025

The recent ice storm has caused widespread power outages and significant damage across Ontario. Communities are working diligently to restore power and assess the aftermath of the storm.

Municipal Updates | Power Updates | Cancellations and Closures | Relief Centres | Need Help?

Municipal updates

Below is a list of articles updates that have been provided by the municipalities across Simcoe County and Muskoka:

• Barrie
• Bracebridge
• County of Simcoe
• District of Muskoka
• Innisfil
• Midland
• Orillia
• Oro Medonte
• Ramara
• Severn
• Springwater
• Tiny

Please click on the links above for the latest updates on your area. We will continue to update this list as more information becomes available from each municipality.

Power updates

Please do not call police for power updates … they need to keep their lines open for emergencies.

Below is the most current information we have received from each of the hydro companies.

• Alectra: All power has been restored in Barrie
• InnPower: There are fewer than 30 customers that crews are working on to restore power.
• Elexicon: Currently in Gravenhurst, about 1,400 customers remain without power. We are planning on having the majority restored by late Friday evening, with the remaining by Sunday. Restoration for island customers will continue into the week of April 7.
• Lakeland Power: Outage in Bracebridge affecting approximately 366 homes and businesses in the area of Cedar Lane and Kirk Line W to southwest Bracebridge. No estimated time for restoration.
• NT Power: Power has been restored to over 99% of our communities. Only 20 homes remain without power, and we’re working hard to get it back on. Thanks to our linemen and to everyone for your patience during this time.
• Hydro One: Power has been restored to 85 per cent of nearly a million affected customers. The utility said crews continue to discover significant damage as they work on restoring power to customers, and crew members have discovered 1,826 broken poles so far.  In areas serviced by Hydro One like Orillia, parts of Simcoe County and Muskoka, estimated power restoration is this weekend for some, but some customers in hard-hit areas like Orillia, Ramara, restoration may not be until Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Cancellations and closures

Cancellations and closures can be found here including details about schools closed with the Simcoe County District School Board, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, and Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

Need A Hand?

• Zenetec is organizing a Storm Clean-Up Day on Friday, April 4, from 9 AM – 3 PM. Anyone in Barrie who needs assistance with branch removal, debris clearing, or pathway shovelling, can be nominated for support here.
• The Hitch House (Highway 11, Shanty Bay) is providing potable water to the public during regular business hours.
• Many of our neighbours in Oro-Medonte are still reeling from the recent ice storm, with widespread power outages and critical supply shortages continuing to impact daily life.
• The Barrie Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Oro-Medonte Chamber of Commerce, is organizing a supply drive to help support residents as they recover. We’re asking for your support. Requested items include:
  • Blankets
  • Drinking water
  • Clean containers for water
  • Non-perishable food and snacks

Drop-off details:

• Barrie Chamber of Commerce 121 Commerce Park Drive, Unit A Friday, April 4, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

We will coordinate delivery of all collected items directly to Oro-Medonte.

Relief centres

Please note, this information is subject to change regularly.

Barrie

Allendale Rec Centre: 190 Bayview Dr., Barrie

Orillia

Orillia Recreation Centre: 255 West St. South, Orillia

Midland

Please visit either location listed below to warm up (bring your own blankets & refreshments), charge electronic devices (bring your own charging cables & blocks), and fill up your personal water bottles.

North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre: 527 Len Self Blvd., Midland
(open Monday from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.)

Town Hall: 575 Dominion Ave., Midland
(open Monday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

Severn

Residents can use charging stations, restrooms, and have warm drinks.

Washago Community Centre: 4361 Hamilton St., Washago
(open daily from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
For status and details visit severn.ca/notices

Tay

Township of Tay: 450 Park St., Victoria Harbour

Tiny

Washrooms and power for charging cell phone devices (please bring your own charger) are available at:

Wyebridge Community Centre: 8340 Highway 93
(Open April 1, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.)

Township of Tiny Office: 130 Balm Beach Road West
(Open April 1, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Penetanguishene

 Residents can warm up (bring your own blankets/refreshments), charge electronics (bring your own charging cables and blocks), and fill personal water bottles.

Memorial Community Centre: 61 Maria St., Penetanguishene
(Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Townhall: 10 Robert St. W., Penetanguishene
(Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Please note, this location has limited capacity

Oro-Medonte

Horseshoe Resort: 1101 Horseshoe Valley Rd. W., Oro-Medonte
(Open from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.)

Clearview

New Lowell Joint Operations Centre: 5212 County Road 9, New Lowell
(Open March 31 to April 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Station 5 (Singhampton): 794055 County Road 124, Singhampton
(Open March 31 to April 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Springwater

The Administration Centre is operating with reduced staffing levels. It is recommended to call ahead or visit www.springwater.ca/Contact to ensure service requested is available.

Administration Centre: 2231 Nursery Rd., Minesing
(Open 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
Priority is given to those with medical needs. Service dogs are welcome. Bring your own chargers and reusable water bottles. Please sign in with staff upon arrival.

Ramara

Residents are able to charge their devices, use the public facilities, and get warm

Township Administration Building: 2297 Highway 12, Beaverton
(Open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Beausoleil First Nation

Emergency power has been re-established at the Recreation Centre and will now serve as the warming centre. Shower facilities are also available at the Recreation Centre.

Recreation Centre: 11 Ogemaa Miikaan, Christian Island

The Chippewas of Rama First Nation

Community Members can visit the MASK to stay warm or charge essential devices. Should hydro not be restored, the MASK will be open beyond regular hours as a designated emergency shelter.

MASK: 6145 Rama Rd, Orillia

2) (Updated) Ontario Premier Doug Ford to visit areas without electricity since ice storm

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Maan Alhmidi, April 3, 2025.

Premier Doug Ford said Thursday that he plans to visit some areas affected by prolonged power outages since a powerful ice storm hit central and northern Ontario over the weekend. 

More than 190,000 homes and businesses were still in the dark midday Thursday, a Hydro One outage map showed, after the storm caused severe damage in cities such as Orillia and Peterborough. 

Another storm system that moved through parts of Ontario Wednesday and overnight caused additional scattered outages and slowed down restoration efforts, the utility said.

Hydro One said power has been restored for more than 83 per cent of nearly a million affected customers but there is “still a lot of work ahead” until everyone gets their electricity back. 

“It’s heartbreaking,” Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park on Thursday morning. “We’re working full out again, we have the teams out there from emergency management, the Ontario Corps, warming centres, foods brought in.”

Ford’s office said he would be visiting the storm command centre in Orillia on Friday.

He said the governments of Quebec and Saskatchewan have sent hydro crews to help, and he also thanked non-governmental organizations, including GlobalMedic and Team Rubicon, for providing supplies and cutting trees. 

Hydro One said the storm is the most severe weather event the utility has faced since the ice storm of 1998.

It said 3,800 Hydro One workers, contractors and others are working to restore power to hardest-hit areas and “most” customers are expected to be back online by the weekend. 

“For remote areas, including customers who can only be reached by water, restoration may take longer,” the utility said in a statement. “Road access continues to be a challenge in the most impacted areas, along with safety concerns of tree branches and limbs coming down.”

Ford said some people in those hard-hit areas don’t have access to information and online resources. 

“When someone’s internet is down and televisions are down, we have to come up with a new mechanism to communicate because it’s very difficult to communicate when people don’t have the ability to watch television,” he said. 

Provincial police have been asking non-locals to keep away from the affected areas until storm cleanup is under control and urging residents to be patient as power outages persist. 

OPP said Thursday that a hydro worker in the Peterborough area was threatened by a driver upset about the outages.

“The Peterborough County OPP understand that area residents still experiencing power outages are feeling frustrated and upset but remind individuals that making threats can be considered a criminal offence and will not be tolerated,” police said in a news release.

Some parts of southern Ontario were hit by another round of wild spring weather, with thunderstorms dumping as much as 75 millimetres of rain in parts of the Greater Toronto Area in the early hours of Thursday morning. 

Provincial police asked drivers to use caution as flooding was been reported on highways throughout the Greater Toronto Area, and Peel Region police said some roads near Highway 407 in Brampton and Mississauga were closed due to flooding. 

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority was also cautioning the public about possible localized ponding and rising water levels due to rainfall, as well as melting snow and ice.

Much of Quebec was under a freezing rain warning Thursday, with a chance of two to four millimetres of ice buildup possible. Further east, in the Baie-Comeau area, a snowfall warning was in effect, with up to 20 centimetres of the white stuff expected.

Hydro-Quebec reported that roughly 3,600 customers were without power Thursday morning.

3) Ice Storm Updates

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Newsroom, Updated April 3, 2025

The recent ice storm has caused widespread power outages and significant damage across Ontario. Communities are working diligently to restore power and assess the aftermath of the storm.

Municipal Updates | Power Updates | Cancellations and Closures | Relief Centres | Need Help?

Barrie’s Mayor Joined Us To Talk About The Storm Recovery

https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/6uCeFfKXqseVaaRfxdOlAh?utm_source=generator

Municipal updates

Below is a list of articles updates that have been provided by the municipalities across Simcoe County and Muskoka:

• Barrie
• Bracebridge
• County of Simcoe
• District of Muskoka
• Innisfil
• Midland
• Orillia
• Oro Medonte
• Ramara
• Severn
• Springwater
• Tiny

Please click on the links above for the latest updates on your area. We will continue to update this list as more information becomes available from each municipality.

Power updates

Please do not call police for power updates … they need to keep their lines open for emergencies.

Below is the most current information we have received from each of the hydro companies.

• Alectra: All power has been restored in Barrie
• InnPower: Crews are working in the following areas: Strathallen Longwood/Park Lane Bear Point Place Moosenlanka Minnetonka Woodlands Grove Place Please stay clear of fallen trees and vegetation near and around poles/lines.
• Elexicon: Currently in Gravenhurst, about 1,400 customers remain without power. We are planning on having the majority restored by late tomorrow evening, with the remaining by Sunday. Restoration for island customers will continue into the week of April 7.
• Lakeland Power: Outage in Bracebridge affecting approximately 366 homes and businesses in the area of Cedar Lane and Kirk Line W to southwest Bracebridge. No estimated time for restoration.
• NT Power: We understand the ongoing weather challenges with freezing rain, and high winds. Crews are working hard to restore power to those still without and we continue to monitor if any outages arise.
• Hydro One: Sporadic hydro outages are being reported in Orillia as the wind ramps up. Since the start of the storm (March 28, 11 p.m.), Hydro One crews have restored power to more than 83 per cent of customers however, significant damage continues to be discovered as crews continue restoration. To date, crews have identified 1,707 broken poles. As crews finish restoration in areas, they are being redeployed to support the hardest hit areas, which continue to be Peterborough and the surrounding area, Orillia and the surrounding area, and Fenelon Falls. Additional resources are coming through Mutual Assistance agreements, bringing the total to 3,800 Hydro One team members, contractors, and other LDC resources supporting the restoration efforts. Restoration in the hardest hit areas will continue in the coming days, with most customers back online by the weekend. For remote areas, including customers who can only be reached by water, restoration may take longer. Road access continues to be a challenge in the most impacted areas, along with safety concerns of tree branches and limbs coming down.

Cancellations and closures

Cancellations and closures can be found here including details about schools closed with the Simcoe County District School Board, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, and Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

Need A Hand?

• Zenetec is organizing a Storm Clean-Up Day on Friday, April 4, from 9 AM – 3 PM. Anyone in Barrie who needs assistance with branch removal, debris clearing, or pathway shovelling, can be nominated for support here.
• The Hitch House (Highway 11, Shanty Bay) is providing potable water to the public during regular business hours.

Relief centres

Please note, this information is subject to change regularly.

Barrie

Allendale Rec Centre: 190 Bayview Dr., Barrie

Orillia

Orillia Recreation Centre: 255 West St. South, Orillia

Midland

Please visit either location listed below to warm up (bring your own blankets & refreshments), charge electronic devices (bring your own charging cables & blocks), and fill up your personal water bottles.

North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre: 527 Len Self Blvd., Midland
(open Monday from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.)

Town Hall: 575 Dominion Ave., Midland
(open Monday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

Severn

Residents can use charging stations, restrooms, and have warm drinks.

Washago Community Centre: 4361 Hamilton St., Washago
(open daily from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
For status and details visit severn.ca/notices

Tay

Township of Tay: 450 Park St., Victoria Harbour

Tiny

Washrooms and power for charging cell phone devices (please bring your own charger) are available at:

Wyebridge Community Centre: 8340 Highway 93
(Open April 1, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.)

Township of Tiny Office: 130 Balm Beach Road West
(Open April 1, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Penetanguishene

 Residents can warm up (bring your own blankets/refreshments), charge electronics (bring your own charging cables and blocks), and fill personal water bottles.

Memorial Community Centre: 61 Maria St., Penetanguishene
(Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Townhall: 10 Robert St. W., Penetanguishene
(Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Please note, this location has limited capacity

Oro-Medonte

Horseshoe Resort: 1101 Horseshoe Valley Rd. W., Oro-Medonte
(Open from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.)

Clearview

New Lowell Joint Operations Centre: 5212 County Road 9, New Lowell
(Open March 31 to April 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Station 5 (Singhampton): 794055 County Road 124, Singhampton
(Open March 31 to April 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Springwater

The Administration Centre is operating with reduced staffing levels. It is recommended to call ahead or visit www.springwater.ca/Contact to ensure service requested is available.

Administration Centre: 2231 Nursery Rd., Minesing
(Open 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)
Priority is given to those with medical needs. Service dogs are welcome. Bring your own chargers and reusable water bottles. Please sign in with staff upon arrival.

Ramara

Residents are able to charge their devices, use the public facilities, and get warm

Township Administration Building: 2297 Highway 12, Beaverton
(Open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Beausoleil First Nation

Emergency power has been re-established at the Recreation Centre and will now serve as the warming centre. Shower facilities are also available at the Recreation Centre.

Recreation Centre: 11 Ogemaa Miikaan, Christian Island

The Chippewas of Rama First Nation

Community Members can visit the MASK to stay warm or charge essential devices. Should hydro not be restored, the MASK will be open beyond regular hours as a designated emergency shelter.

MASK: 6145 Rama Rd, Orillia

Mayor Alex Nuttall Joined Us To Talk About The Ice Storm Recovery

https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/6uCeFfKXqseVaaRfxdOlAh?utm_source=generator

Get the latest updates on school and event cancellations and closures in Simcoe County and Muskoka.

With so many people asking when food needs to be tossed, we thought it was a good time to share some food safety guidelines.

4) OPP asking people to delay visits to communities hardest hit by weekend ice storm

Courtesy Barrie360.com and News Release

By Ian MacLennan, April 2, 2025

Tree hangs on a house in Orillia, March 2025 (Image – Facebook – Dave Matthew)

The welcome mat is gently being pulled from under people planning a trip to areas hardest hit by last weekend’s ice storm.

In a media release on Wednesday, Ontario Provincial Police said several areas are currently experiencing shortages of essential supplies, including fuel, food, and other necessities.

The following regions have been most affected:

• Orillia
• Bracebridge
• Huntsville
• Haliburton
• City of Kawartha Lakes
• Peterborough
• Northumberland

“In order to ensure that our local communities have access to the resources they require during this challenging time, we kindly request that non-local visitors delay their trips to the affected areas until conditions improve,” the news release stated. A non-local visitor is defined as anyone traveling to these areas who does not reside there permanently or is not part of the local community. This includes tourists, temporary workers, and individuals from outside the region”

Police said they appreciate the public’s understanding.

“The safety and well-being of all residents and visitors is our top priority, and we look forward to welcoming you back once conditions stabilize”

5) Calls about carbon monoxide poisoning as power outages remain in central Ontario: OPP

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Will Konken, April 2, 2025

Ontario provincial police say they are receiving calls related to carbon monoxide poisoning as power outages remain after a recent ice storm.

Sgt Kerry Schmidt said in a video post on X today that due to the outages, many households are relying on generators to keep the lights and heat on.

https://x.com/OPP_CR/status/1907472410473017362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1907472410473017362%7Ctwgr%5Eebdcec1e903303fd1c2f27b5bf76b5e003b702a6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbarrie360.com%2Fopp-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-power-outages%2F

“But, we have also seen an increase in the number of carbon monoxide poisoning emergency calls,” said Schmidt. “People are using their generators in their garage or in their home and the exhaust fumes are not getting vented outside.”

Schmidt says some of the gas-powered appliances used include BBQs and heaters.

“I know people want to stay warm,” stated Schmidt. “They don’t want to have their equipment potentially vulnerable to thieves. Keep a close eye and protect your equipment. Be kind to one another, be responsible.

6) Ontario’s Ice Storm Update

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Ian MacLennan, March 31, 2025

POWER

• Please do not call police for power updates…they need to keep their lines open for emergencies
• Alectra as of 11am says ‘We’ve been able to energize our Mary St. substation in Barrie and have restored another 800 customers. We’re working towards getting the Wellington substation back up next, which supports the area north & south of Wellington from Toronto St. to Berczy. Hang in there! Visit: http://tinyurl.com/2h7ttk5h.
• Alectra says it has been able power up affected customers in Penetanguishene
• InnPower – 2000 customers in Alcona have been restored. There are approximately 7,000 customer still out of power and we are continuing to work our way through the service territory. Power has been restored to 34 customers on 14th Line – West of Yonge Street. Power has been restored to 691 Customers along Lockhart Road – West of 25th Sideroad. Crews continue to work throughout the service territory cleaning up major damage. We have crews working in and around Sandy cove, Leonard’s beach, Alcona, Bear Creek, Big Bay Point.
• Elexicon says it may be late afternoon Thursday before it has power restored to its affected customers in Gravenhurst
• Epcor has indicated power has been restored to its customers in Collingwood and Stayner
• Lakeland Power hopes to have some of it Bracebridge customers lit up again this afternoon. Details: https://outages.lakelandpower.on.ca/
• NT Power Outages in the Midland area will extend into Monday afternoon, possibly longer, as it awaits restoration efforts from Hydro One.
• Hydro One says crews are out in full force in tough conditions to restore power to customers. More than 460,000 customers have had power restored province-wide since the storm began. Power restoration for those without hydro is to be determined.

PARKS

• For your safety, please stay out of City of Barrie parks and refrain from cleaning up your property. Ice accumulation on large trees is making nearby areas very dangerous due to falling branches.

CANCELLATIONS and Closures can be found here including details about schools closed with the Simcoe County District School Board, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, and Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

RELIEF CENTRES

The City of Barrie has opened a warming centre at the Allandale Recreation Centre to support residents in need during the current extreme weather conditions. The Allandale Recreation Centre is located at 190 Bayview Drive. Pets are welcome.

The Relief Centre at the Orillia Recreation Centre (255 West St. S.) is being prepared to accommodate overnight stays in partnership with the County of Simcoe, should the need arise. Overnight guests must be registered inside the facility by 9pm.
Space is limited.

The Tay Township warming centre will remain open at the Municipal Office (450 Park St., Victoria Harbour) until power is restored. Pets are welcome. Bring your own portable containers for coffee and tea, as well as charging cables for devices.

Midland – North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre (527 Len Self Blvd), Monday: 8:00am to 10:00pm – pets not permitted; Town Hall (575 Dominion Avenue) Monday: 8:30am to 4:30pm – pets not permitted

Bracebridge – Sportsplex and Muskoka Lumber Community Centre open to provide residents with respite from the cold. Both facilities are operating on backup generator power.

GARBAGE COLLECTION

• No waste collection in Barrie on Monday, March 31, 2025.
• Garbage and recycling collection is suspended in Orillia for the week of March 31 to April 4, 2025. Residents can put their garbage and recycling materials out the following week. 
• Waste collections for regular Monday routes in the County of Simcoe will continue where possible. If areas are missed due to debris or ongoing road closures on March 31^st, we will return to those locations on Friday, April 4, 2025. To support the cleanup process from the March 30^th ice storm that affected homes and businesses across the region, County of Simcoe waste drop-off sites will be accepting brush debris, free of charge, from March 31 through April 5, 2025. Timing and extensions will be determined as cleanups continue.