Tens of thousands of Ontarians are still without power today as Hydro One crews continue “working around the clock” to get the lights back after last week’s ice storm left homes and businesses across the province in the dark.
Hydro One announced early April 6 that the number of customers affected had decreased to 69,000 as crews worked to resolve the extended outages caused by the ice storm. However, by evening, the number of outages had risen to more than 80,000.
As of midday today, 44,000 customers were still without power, 20,600 of which are secondary properties such as cottages and trailers.
More than 4,800 crew members are on the job today as localized flooding hampers repair efforts in some areas, Hydro One said in an online update. The provincial utility said crews have also been forced to rebuild sections of the local distribution grid “in many places.”
“Severe damage continues to be discovered as new areas are accessed,” Hydro One said. “To date, crews have identified more than 2,200 broken poles. Restoration in the hardest hit areas will continue into next week.”
Favourable weather means Hydro One helicopters and drones are back in the air to help survey the damage, the electricity provider said.
An emailed update from the provincial utility indicates that the hardest hit areas continue to be Fenelon Falls, the rural areas surrounding Peterborough and Orillia, Bracebridge, Minden, and Penetanguishene.
“Later today a section of Highway 400 near Barrie will be closed so crews can safely string power lines across the highway. This is being coordinated with the OPP,” Hydro One said.
“In the north Kawarthas, our boats will take crews to remote areas to repair five broken poles spotted yesterday by our helicopters.”
Restoration could extend into next week in remote areas, including seasonal homes and customers who can only be reached by water, Hydro One said.
In the meantime, the provincial utility has launched the Ice Storm 2025 Recovery Grant. It allows indigenous communities and municipalities that were directly impacted by the storm to apply for grants of up to $10,000 to aid in relief and recovery efforts.
“We’ve seen the devastation caused by the ice storm firsthand and know cleanup will continue long after power is restored. Some places may never look the same,” Hydro One said.
“We care deeply about these communities because they’re where we live and work too.”
Applications for community grants open today.
More than a million homes and businesses in Ontario have faced power outages since last weekend’s ice storm followed by several days of strong winds and heavy rainfall. The storm knocked out power across central and eastern Ontario with the outages stretching as far north as Sudbury.
The ice storm left between 10 and 25 millimetres of ice on trees and hydro lines, causing some townships to declare a state of emergency.
Peterborough, Orillia, the District of Muskoka and the Township of Oro-Medonte all declared states of emergency in their regions due to downed trees and power lines and unsafe roads.
