Communities across the 705 are digging out from a severe storm that left many areas with ongoing road closures and power outages. According to Environment Canada, storm totals reached 140 centimetres of snow in Gravenhurst and 125 centimetres in Bracebridge.
Here is the latest information from Gravenhurst (released December 2nd):
A state of emergency continues in the Town of Gravenhurst.
The state of emergency is because of the substantial snowfall in the community and the prolonged closure of Highway 11.
The town is reminding people to stay home. Please avoid travel by foot or car. Attempting to navigate roads hinders workers’ abilities to deal with snow removal, downed trees, and downed power lines.
Town snowplow crews and contractors continue to clear roads, but this work is limited and slow because of obstacles across roads and snow volume.
Emergency services are limited, and in some instances, might not be able to respond.
What’s new…
Abandoned vehicles, downed trees and limbs are hampering snow cleanup. Since Saturday, the town has cleared more than 50 trees that have fallen across roads. Work on this continues but it is slow. Getting tree removal resources to these locations takes time.
Downed hydro lines continue to hamper cleanup efforts as well. While we don’t have an exact count, there have been dozens of instances where hydro lines across roads have slowed our snow removal progress. In each instance, we wait for hydro utility workers to resolve the situation before we can continue with snow removal.
Snow removal resources from outside the community have been arriving. Resources from Peel Region and the County of Simcoe are on the scene and resources from the City of Vaughan will be arriving today. Additional resources are expected, and we will share more on this later. The intent is to get roads open to at least one lane.
The town and its contractors continue with snow cleanup, however people have been going beyond the hours they are allowed to safely work and they have, at times, had to stop to rest.
The main Hydro One line coming into the south end of the community remains without power and for this reason we continue to deal with hydro outages. There are downed lines throughout the community and utility workers are doing to their best to get to them. It takes time. Navigating snow covered roads and obstacles is limiting response efforts.
We are working with relief agencies to provide support for residents in the community. Watch for further details.
Residents are reminded to keep snow away from furnace vents.
Please avoid removing snow from roofs unless you face a critical situation. You risk injuring yourself and requiring medical assistance. We might not be able to get to you.
General safety reminders:
Don’t leave candles unattended.
Don’t leave cooking areas unattended.
Take breaks if you are shoveling snow.
Things to keep in mind…
The Centennial Centre is open until further notice for people needing a place to seek shelter. However, we ask that people not make their way to the centre unless necessary. We are trying to avoid situations where people leave their home, get stuck en route to the centre, and then require assistance.
Please check on your neighbours to make sure they are OK. We have heard several stories about people caring for each other and these are heartwarming and reflective of our great community. We have a long history of working together in the face of adversity. We will get through this situation.
Recreation programs at the Centennial Centre have ceased until further notice.
The Gravenhurst Public Library is closed until further notice.
If you have general, non-emergency inquires, please e-mail info@gravenhurst.ca or telephone 705-687-3412, 8 (general reception) or ext. 2237.
Town hall is open with a skeleton staff. Please avoid visiting the town hall unless necessary. Connect with staff via e-mail and phone.
Power outages continue and likely will for the next few days. See the Elexicon outage map for details. See Hydro One outage map for details.
Please avoid situations that put your home or shelter location at risk (for example makeshift fires and unattended candles).
If you experience an emergency, dial 9-1-1.
Social media was flooded over the weekend with reports of hundreds of vehicles including snowplows stranded on roadways without food or water for 30 hours. As of December 2nd, at 10:30 AM, Highway 11 remains closed in both directions between Highway 60 in Huntsville and West St in Orillia. The roadway has been cleared of all obstructions and snow removal continues. Updates are always available at 511on.ca .
Many areas in Gravenhurst and Bracebridge were without power for much of the weekend. Many neighbours have had service restored, but many still remain in the dark. A post on X by Elexicon Energy states that they continue to work on the “unknown cause” of the power outage and the estimated time of restoration is Wednesday December 4, 2024 10:00 PM. The company also posted the following safety reminders during the outage:
-Call 911 and Elexicon Energy immediately to report any downed wires or electrical hazards.
-Always consider downed power lines to be live and dangerous. Electricity can travel through the ground around downed wires. Stay back at least 10 metres (33 feet) or the length of a school bus.
-Do not use charcoal or gas barbeques, camping heating equipment or standby generators indoors. Deadly carbon monoxide gas is produced by any device fueled by natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline or wood.
-Unplug as many appliances as possible. This helps to stabilize the electricity distribution system when power is restored. Unplug electronic equipment to avoid damage when power is restored. Televisions, computers and microwave ovens are sensitive to surges when the power is restored.
Huntsville, Magnetawan and Sundridge also experienced power outages on Sunday but service has been restored to these areas.
We’re not out of the woods yet. OPP is advising the public to avoid all travel as crews continue responding to the ongoing snow event. Drivers who are low on fuel are advised to find a safe place to park until they can safely access a gas station, or until fuel can be brought to them. OPP adds that locals should only dial 911 for life-threatening situations and should contact the non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122 for all other situations.
Note that as of 10:30 AM on December 2nd, an Environment Canada snow squall warning remains in effect for Barrie – Collingwood – Hillsdale.
Our deepest thanks to first responders, hydro workers, plow drivers, road crews and everyone who has worked tirelessly to keep us going during this snow event. Please remember to check on your neighbours to make sure everyone is safe.
Follow 705BLACKFLY.COM on Facebook for ongoing updates.
