ORILLIA — Prolonged power outages after spring storms could extend into next week in some Ontario communities, officials said Friday, as one Orillia-area resident described the aftermath of last weekend's ice storm as a "war zone."
Hydro One's latest update on electricity restoration came as Premier Doug Ford visited some of the areas hardest hit by the powerful storm that left behind downed trees and broken hydro poles in central and eastern Ontario.
The ice storm caused severe damage in cities such as Orillia and Peterborough, while another storm system that moved through parts of Ontario mid-week caused additional scattered outages and slowed down restoration efforts.
Restoration was set to continue through the weekend, but it could take longer for remote areas, Hydro One said Friday. The utility said electricity has been restored to 89 per cent of customers but about 140,000 were still without power.
Among them was Jon Wagner, who drove to the Orillia Recreation Centre from his house in Bayshore Village just outside the city on Friday to use the internet and charge his large portable battery.
Orillia has turned the rec centre into a relief station where residents can access essentials and charge their devices.
Wagner said he'd never experienced a weather event so severe.
"It was all the ice, just kept going overnight. It knocked some stuff down. But then the next day and still, walking outside was a bit like a war zone," Wagner said, adding he's lived in the area for 30 years.
The damage to his home is in the thousands of dollars, he said. The removal of fallen trees on his property has already cost $2,500, he said, and he's got hundreds of dollars worth of spoiled food in the freezer.
"We just know we're going to have to throw a lot of food out," Wagner said. "And because we're not going to have power, I tried to buy generators everywhere, but everything was sold out."
Wagner said power in his neighbourhood is estimated to come back on Tuesday. A local organization has offered to put him and his wife in a hotel for a week, he added.
"We've been just trying to survive," Wagner said, gesturing to his table at the recreation centre, where he had set up several charging cables and small toiletries.
Ford assured affected residents on Friday that crews are working tirelessly to help communities recover.
Speaking at a fire station in Orillia, the premier thanked hydro workers, volunteers and local officials for their ongoing efforts to restore power to homes and business that are still in the dark.
"I can assure you we're working around the clock to get people's power up," he said, adding that crews from across Canada have been sent in to help.
When asked about the costs area residents are incurring due to power outages, including spoiled food, Ford said the province will continue to support food banks.
"I feel terrible when you ask me that because I want to give everyone free food. I want to help everyone," Ford said.
"The reality is, you know, Mother Nature wasn't too kind to us. And these are some of the things that come along once every 20 years."
Hydro One CEO David Lebeter said Friday he expected the number of homes and businesses without power would fall to 70,000 by the end of the day, and that includes 37,000 seasonal homes.
"We're well on our way to having this wrapped up. There will be some people that are going to go into next week," he said in Orillia.
"Small rural communities or homes down isolated roads — it's going to take a long time. But we hope to have 95 to 98 per cent of the people back by the end of this weekend."
For Wagner, the power can't come back on soon enough. But if this storm has shown him anything, it's that people from across the province can pull together to support one another, he said.
"It's a good community. And a lot of our Bayshore people are pitching in and helping because it's a whole community," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2025.
Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press
