Tens of thousands still without power in Ontario after pair of storms

Ice is seen coating trees after a spring storm near Meaford, Ont., in a Saturday, March 29, 2025, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Sharon Leach.

Rain and localized flooding complicated the weeklong effort to restore power to thousands of Ontario homes and businesses, officials said Saturday, as a series of punishing spring storms threatened to keep hard-hit communities in the dark into next week.

Provincial utility provider Hydro One said 102,000 customers were without power Saturday, a slight improvement on the previous day's numbers.

Hydro One's update said weather conditions had grounded its helicopters and could slow efforts by the 4,000 crew members working to restore power.

"Restoration in the hardest hit areas will continue into next week. For remote areas, including customers who can only be reached by water, restoration may take longer. This includes many seasonal properties," an update from Hydro One said.

Last weekend's ice storm caused severe damage in cities like Peterborough and Orillia, which had turned its recreation centre into a relief station where residents can access essentials and charge their devices.

The ice storm, which officials have called the most damaging in decades, was followed up by more heavy precipitation and high winds.

Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events in Ontario, including record-breaking storms, scientists say,

Hydro One said localized flooding and heavy rain had washed out roads in some areas, including Minden, where nearly 7,000 customers were without power.

The utility said it had identified over 2,000 broken poles, and in some areas entire sections of the local distribution grid would have to be rebuilt.

Damage continued to be uncovered as crews accessed new areas. Meanwhile, outages continued to be reported as customers checked in on the status of secondary properties.

About 31,000 of the Hydro One outages were at secondary properties such as cottages and trailers.

Overwhelmed sewage treatment plants in several communities have had to send partially treated or untreated wastewater into local rivers in recent days.

Large swaths of the province were under flood warnings.

Peterborough, where more than 14,000 customers are without power, had urged its residents to cut back on water use.

The nearby community of Kawartha Lakes, where more than 26,000 customers remained in the dark, extended hours at some local landfills for residents cleaning up from the storm.

Premier Doug Ford said crews from across Canada were in Ontario working with provincial utility workers to get people's power restored.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said a hydro crew from that province was headed to Ontario.

"Good neighbours help each other," she said in a social media post Saturday.

Paramedics in Simcoe County, which covers several hard-hit communities, said paramedic services from across Ontario were assisting the area.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2025.

Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press