Tens of thousands without power as ice storm hits parts of Ontario
A map from Hydro One, the provincial utility, showed more than 50,000 customers were in the dark Saturday afternoon because of outages concentrated in cottage country, from Tobermory and Gravenhurst to Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes.
The outages came after Environment Canada issued freezing rain warnings for swaths of Ontario and Quebec, starting on the northwestern shore of Lake Huron, extending as far south as Burlington, Ont., and as far east as Lac Megantic, Que.
Hydro One said crews were out in force to turn the lights back on.
By Saturday afternoon, people had started sharing images on social media of trees coated in ice and downed power lines.
Environment Canada was only predicting up to four millimetres of ice build-up in Toronto, but in Orillia the national forecaster said up to 25 millimetres of ice could accumulate.
The city at the heart of Ontario's cottage country is among those hit by power outages, and officials said the public library was closed for the day because it's without electricity.
Police advised against unnecessary travel over the weekend, saying the roads would likely be slippery.
Parts of southern Ontario have already been hit, but the storm is due to expand over the weekend.
It was also expected to be a stormy weekend in Quebec, where the southern part of the province is forecast to receive between five and 15 centimetres of snow into Saturday morning before freezing rain follows on Sunday for several hours.
Environment Canada also issued a special weather statement for a large swath of the province including the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, the lower St. Lawrence, the Gaspé peninsula and the province's north shore, where snow and freezing rain could last into Monday morning.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2025.
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Air quality warnings issued throughout Manitoba as wildfire smoke envelops province
WINNIPEG — Air quality warnings are in effect for much of Manitoba this weekend as wildfire smoke continues to linger over the region. Environment Canada says much of the province will be dealing with poor conditions, with Winnipeg expected to see an air quality health index rating of over 10 by Saturday night. The agency says the very high risk conditions in Winnipeg, as well as Flin Flon in northwestern Manitoba, are expected to last throughout the weekend. The warnings come as Manitoba is currently dealing with 121 wildfires, 13 of which are classified as out of control. Wildfire smoke is also affecting central and northern Saskatchewan, with Environment Canada saying Buffalo Narrows, Sask., will see the air quality health index remain at the "very high risk" rating of over 10 throughout Saturday and into Sunday. The city of Prince Albert, Sask., will also continue to be affected by the smoky air, where Environment Canada says the index is also expected to be over 10 throughout Saturday before dropping into high risk category by Saturday night. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2025. The Canadian Press
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Drought-stricken Manitoba farmers hoping for rain
Extremely dry conditions in Manitoba are leaving farmers praying for rain. Across much of the province's south, farms are experiencing moderate to severe drought, with precipitation about 70 per cent below average, according to Environment Canada.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Air quality warnings issued in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, as wildfire smoke lingers
Air quality warnings remain in effect for parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba as wildfire smoke continues to linger over the region. Environment Canada says the northwestern Saskatchewan community of Buffalo Narrows will see some of the poorest conditions, with the air quality health Index hitting the 'very high risk' rating of over 10 throughout Friday and into Saturday. The city of Prince Albert, Sask., is also affected by the smoky air, where Environment Canada says the index is also expected to be at over 10 throughout Friday. In northwestern Manitoba, Environment Canada says the Flin Flon area is also under warning, with the index forecasted to drop from high risk to moderate risk by Saturday. The agency says smoke is expected to cause reduced visibility and poor air quality throughout the rest of the week. There were 118 active wildfires burning across Manitoba as of Thursday, with Saskatchewan reporting 48 active wildfires. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
