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4w ago

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.

Premier Doug Ford is set to visit some areas affected by prolonged power outages since a powerful ice storm hit central and northern Ontario over the weekend. Ice covered trees branches are shown in Meaford, Ontario on Sunday March 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Becky Holvik *MANDATORY CREDIT *
Researchers say less trees may translate to higher temperatures, and a higher risk of flooding in urban areas.

Overview

  • 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.