Flooding expected to worsen in coming days in Central Ontario

Residents prepare for flooding on Saturday, April 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

As the weekend approaches, residents are reminded to remain aware of the area water levels rising.

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) Flood Warning for Bracebridge-Minden-Parry Sound District remains in effect until Wednesday for the Muskoka River Watershed.

“The ministry is actively responding to flooding in several parts of the province, providing a range of supports including flood barriers, sandbags and sandbagging equipment,” said Ricardo Fartura, press secretary for Minister Jill Dunlop at the ministry of emergency preparedness and response.

“We are also deploying Ontario Corps partners and volunteers to support flood mitigation and evacuation centres in affected communities,” he said.

The MNR is advising municipalities and residents to expect lake water levels to continue to rise and river flows to remain high throughout this week and into late next week.

Flooding to Date:

• At the request of the Township of Minden Hills, the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response (MEPR) is providing 20,000 sandbags from the provincial stockpile and 150 cots for an evacuation centre. The ministry is working with the community and assessing what additional supports may be required.
• The Evacuation Centre is scheduled to open today at 7 p.m. Amenities available at the Evacuation Centre include: light refreshments, snacks, water filling station, shower facilities, sleeping area, charging stations for medical devices and phones (be sure to bring your charging cables and personal hygiene amenities including towels/face clothes).
• Muskoka Lakes and the District of Muskoka will be receiving flood barriers – the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response is working with the community to provide appropriate resources.
• The City of Orillia has requested flood barriers, and the County of Simcoe has requested sandbags. The ministry is working with both communities on these requests.
• The province has not received any requests for assistance from the City of Barrie.

Residents of impacted communities should continue to follow the direction of local authorities and exercise extreme caution around rivers, riverbanks and shorelines.

Operations Update

Public Works crews continue to monitor known flood prone areas and crews will be patrolling over the weekend.

Residents are reminded not to move any pilons or barriers in flood prone areas and to be safe around all bodies of water. Flood water is moving rapidly, and these barriers are there to ensure community safety.

Refrain from boating while water levels remain high. Boating and the wake produced can cause additional damage to shoreline property, and there is a significant amount of debris in the waterway.

Some lakes within the area are still covered in ice which creates floating ice hazards that could damage waterfront infrastructure.

Visit the updated road closure and condition for updates.