Ice storm recovery, clean-up continues
The ice storm of 2025 is one for the history books.
Environment Canada issued freezing rain warnings for the area just before noon on Friday, March 28. The storm continued through the weekend with freezing rain, snow and damaging winds. Before it was over, more than one million Hydro One customers were left without power.
Environment Canada says the recent storm was amongst the worst on record, resulting in higher power outages than the December 2013 ice storm that affected more than 800,000 Hydro One customers, and a massive storm across parts of Ontario and Quebec in January 1998 that left 1.6 million without electricity.
At the height of the storm, states of emergency were declared in many municipalities including Mulmur, Orillia, Peterborough, Ramara, Severn and Oro-Medonte, and the County of Simcoe. More than 4,800 Hydro One staff, bolstered with crews from out of province, moved in to work on restoring power. By Monday, April 14, more than two weeks after the storm began, approximately 2,500 homes and businesses were still without power in the Bracebridge, Parry Sound and Penetanguishene areas. Some, in the hardest hit rural and cottage areas, may not have power restored until May.
For some residents, like 89-year- old Billie Power, the storm was a frightening ordeal. She was without electricity for five and a half days. That meant no cooking, no running water, and no pump for the geothermal heating. The temperature in her Mulmur home got down to 11 ̊C.
“I just sat here getting more and more depressed,” said Power. “I was actually scared to go to bed.”
Under normal circumstances, Power copes reasonably well with her health problems and the vision loss that has forced her to stop driving. She attends a seniors’ group one day per week, and has a personal support worker two days a week, but she describes the extended power outage as hell.
“With no TV to pass the time, the days were very long,” she said. “I sat here every day around 6:30 p.m. as it got dusky, just waiting for total blackness to come around 9 p.m. when I would bundle up and head to bed.”
Mulmur mayor Janet Horner reports that more than 140 hydro poles had to be replaced in the Honeywood area alone.
“In the last two weeks, we have mostly survived an ice storm that challenged our power grid, devastated our forest landscapes, and created significant safety concerns and property damage for our residents,” said Horner in the township’s monthly newsletter. “While we all hoped that the power outages would last a day or two, it soon became evident that this was not going to be a quick fix.”
The storm also hit very hard for Marion Bartlett of Singhampton. Downed branches caused significant damage to the sculpture garden created by her and husband Rick Bino.
During the storm, Bino fell off a ladder while removing branches from the roof, suffering a concussion, broken ribs and pelvis. After two weeks in hospital, he is home but is facing a couple of months of rehab, although the prognosis is good.
Bartlett says neighbours were quick to come to their aid.
“On the weekend, 25 people showed up with chainsaws to start clearing away the brush,” she said. “The downed branches have damaged many of the sculptures, which may delay our opening for the season.”
She would have liked to see the municipality of Grey Highlands help out by providing a wood chipper to assist residents with the clean-up.
“This was a chaotic, rare situation, and for the township to ask us to deal with this on our own is a lot,” said Bartlett.
Clearview Mayor Doug Measures says township staff really stepped up during the storm.
“Clearview Fire responded to more than 60 calls for assistance during the storm,” he reported during Monday night’s council meeting. “Firefighters and public works crews worked around the clock to get roads reopened and keep our communities safe.”
The fire hall in New Lowell was one of several warming centres opened throughout the area.
The County of Simcoe is helping out by waiving dump fees for branches downed in the storm. The reprieve, which applies to residents and commercial and private operators, has been extended to May 30.
County of Simcoe Warden and Ramara Township Mayor Basil Clarke, praised the spirit of cooperation evident in the aftermath of the storm.
“As Orillia and other surrounding communities end our states of emergency, our focus now turns fully to recovery and continued support for our residents,” he said. “From emergency shelter operations to coordinated regional support, the incredible collaboration between municipalities, the County of Simcoe, and countless community partners made a meaningful difference during a very difficult time. I am deeply proud of the dedication shown by municipal staff, emergency personnel, volunteers, and the people in our communities. The way we came together during this historic ice storm was extraordinary, and we will continue to support one another as we recover.”
Bonnie MacPherson photo: Having not fully lost her sense of humour during the ice storm power outages, 89-year-old Billie Power demonstrates how she slept in her winter clothes to keep warm.
