State of emergency declared in Gravenhurst – update 4

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 latest… 

Northbound and southbound lanes of Highway 11 are now open. 

Municipal road information.

Provincial highway information.

In order to ensure emergency services access, the following District of Muskoka roads are now closed in their entirety to all traffic except emergency services: 

• Muskoka Road 13 (Southwood)
• Muskoka Road 19 (Beiers)
• Muskoka Road 20 (Uffington/Doe Lake)
• Muskoka Road 6 (Doe Lake/Houseys Rapids/Coopers Falls)

These closures are necessary to:

• Remove downed trees
• Restore utility services
• Clear abandoned vehicles
• Plow and remove accumulated snow

We are specifically requesting that people from outside the area not make their way to Gravenhurst. This includes individuals wanting to check cottage properties. Additional vehicle traffic in the community is a hindrance to cleanup. 

Town snowplow crews, contractors (Fowler, Robinson Haulage, and Prestige Contracting), and resources from other municipalities (York Region, Vaughan, Simcoe County) continue to clear town roads, but this work is limited and slow because of obstacles (downed hydro lines, downed trees and branches) and snow volume. The focus remains getting single lanes open. 

Please do not travel on roads unless necessary. We do not want you to get stuck, require assistance, and hinder cleanup efforts.  

Emergency services remain limited, and in some instances, might not be able to respond. 

Power restoration continues. See the Elexicon outage map. See the Elexicon Gravenhurst page. See Hydro One outage map.

While the Centennial Centre has been available as a warming centre since early in the emergency, yesterday it was opened as a formal reception centre with a variety of services, open 24 hours a day and staffed, for people in need. See our related news release.

Gravenhurst Fire Department is delivering basic supplies to people in need. Supplies are delivered on a priority basis and delivery will take time. 

Gravenhurst Fire Department is also transporting people in need to the Centennial Centre.

People with questions about the state of emergency or specific needs can e-mail us at info@gravenhurst.ca or call 705-687-3412, ext. 2200. 

Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue is assisting. Representatives are calling people who have contacted the town. Members are determining needs and priorities. 

The challenges with cleanup

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. 

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. 

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.
• Keep snow away from furnace vents.

Things to keep in mind…

• 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. 
• Town hall is open with a skeleton staff. Please avoid visiting the town hall unless necessary. Connect with staff via e-mail and phone. 
• 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.