Ontario Ice Storm Recovery Nears Completion as Rural Areas Brace for Extended Outages
Hydro One has restored power to 89% of affected customers, but significant infrastructure damage means some rural areas may face outages into next week.
- A powerful ice storm struck central and northern Ontario on March 29-30, leaving nearly one million customers without power and causing extensive infrastructure damage.
- Hydro One has restored power to over 89% of affected customers, but approximately 140,000 remain without electricity as of April 5, 2025.
- Efforts to repair 1,826 broken poles and other damage have been slowed by a second storm system that hit mid-week, causing additional outages.
- Premier Doug Ford visited hard-hit areas, such as Orillia, on April 4 to thank hydro crews, volunteers, and local officials for their recovery efforts.
- Hydro One aims to restore power to 95-98% of customers by the end of the weekend, though some rural and remote areas may remain without power into next week due to accessibility challenges.
The Globe and Mail 
Global News 