State of emergency over in Gravenhurst

The Town of Gravenhurst is lifting its state of emergency declaration as of 11 a.m. today.

Regular winter maintenance operations will continue throughout the municipality. This includes snow removal along roads and sidewalks in addition to the placement of sand and salt as required. 

The significant weather event declaration will remain in place as a precautionary measure. The declaration suspends the standard timelines to meet winter maintenance objectives. 

“On behalf of council, I want to thank our public works staff, our contractors, and our municipal partners for all their assistance with the cleanup,” Mayor Heidi Lorenz said. “I also want to recognize our staff who helped in other ways – the individuals sitting on our emergency control group, people answering phone calls and e-mails, the team that opened our town hall to stranded travellers, and the team that launched and ran our reception centre.”

The mayor extended special thanks to Gravenhurst Fire Department members. 

“Our firefighters spent days helping people in need during the emergency. They ferried goods to them, transported people to our reception centre, and conducted dozens of wellness checks. These brave people worked around the clock, and they deserve our eternal gratitude,” she said. 

Mayor Lorenz also paid tribute to a variety of organizations for their valuable assistance during the state of emergency. 

“I want to recognize the OPP, Muskoka Paramedic Services, and Emergency Management Ontario for their help during this difficult period. Additionally, I want to commend the Salvation Army, Global Medic, Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue, and Feed Ontario for their aid. Each of these organizations played a role in helping people,” Mayor Lorenz said. 

She also praised hydro workers for restoring power to homes and businesses in Gravenhurst. 

“Elexicon and Hydro One worked diligently for several days to get the lights back on and we are grateful for their efforts. The work was daunting at times, but these brave individuals kept at it,” Mayor Lorenz said. 

The local business community also stepped up during the emergency. The town is aware of various restaurants and at least one grocery store that provided food to stranded motorists. Taboo Resort made rooms available to stranded motorists rescued from Highway 11. 

“These acts exemplify all that is good about our business community. I thank our business owners and their staff for their kindness,” the mayor said. 

Mayor Lorenz said the emergency was an incredibly challenging period for residents. 

“Speaking on behalf of council and our staff, I want to thank residents for their perseverance, their tenacity, their patience, and the caring way that people looked out for each other. I also want to acknowledge the people who are frustrated. We hear you. And I promise we will review what led to this emergency and our response,” she said. 

Mayor Lorenz declared a state of emergency in the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 1. 

The state of emergency was because of the substantial snowfall in the community and the almost three-day closure of Highway 11, which kept the municipality from being able to properly deploy its snowplows and keep roads opened. The highway closure also kept contractors from accessing our community. 

The winter storm also knocked down hydro lines and hundreds of trees and limbs, which further delayed winter maintenance efforts. 

Scott Lucas, chief administrative officer for the Town of Gravenhurst, said he is proud of town staff for their efforts during the emergency. 

“Our team worked extremely well together, no matter what we faced. People in all departments rolled up their sleeves and helped in a variety of ways,” he said. 

“This included some staff taking on new, temporary roles because of the emergency,” Lucas said. “For example, we had people from a variety of departments, and the mayor, working side-by-side on our emergency control group to manage the town’s response to the emergency. And we had people from various departments helping launch and run our reception centre 24 hours a day. 

“And when stranded travellers on Highway 11 needed a place to go on the Saturday night of the snowstorm (Nov. 30), we had staff brave the elements and open the town hall so that people had a place to stay that was warm and secure.

“We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated and caring group of people working for the municipality,” Lucas said. 

Andrew Stacey, director of infrastructure services, said he is proud of his team and their response during the emergency. 

“We put in extremely long days while navigating challenging conditions. Our team pushed through it – literally – and did their best to restore our road and sidewalk system throughout the municipality. I want to thank each member of our team for their efforts,” Stacey said. 

A full report on the cause of the emergency and the town’s response will be presented to council at a meeting early in the new year. 

Here’s a timeline of what happened…

• A winter snowstorm hit the area the weekend of Nov. 29, Nov. 30, and Dec. 1. Town resources were deployed to ensure winter maintenance took place as per provincial standards. The province deployed resources to manage Highway 11. 

• On Saturday, Nov. 30 the storm intensified. Some roads in the municipality were snowed in and there were reports of abandoned vehicles. Power outages were reported along with downed trees and branches. The town declared a significant weather event, which suspended standard timelines to meet winter maintenance objectives.

• Later in the day on Nov. 30, Highway 11 was closed due to the storm. Motorists were trapped on the highway in their vehicles. Some of these individuals were transported to Gravenhurst town hall. Staff met travellers at the municipal office and later found them emergency accommodation at Taboo Resort.

• At 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 1, Mayor Heidi Lorenz declared a state of emergency due to the substantial snowfall and the prolonged closure of Highway 11. Emergency services were limited and, in some instances, not able to respond. Town snowplow crews and contractors cleared roads, but the work was limited and slow because of obstacles such as downed trees and limbs, downed power lines, and abandoned vehicles blocking routes. One of the biggest challenges was the town’s inability to move vehicles and equipment to other areas of the municipality using Highway 11.

• Later in the day on Dec. 1, the town announced it was working with Emergency Management Ontario representatives, the OPP, District of Muskoka Representatives, Elexicon and Hydro One officials, and neighbouring municipal representatives in response to the emergency. The town announced the Centennial Centre was open as a warming spot for people in need, but encouraged people to stay put.

• On Dec. 2, the town announced the emergency continued and that people should avoid travel. Town snowplow crews and contractors worked to clear roads, but the effort was limited and slow due to obstacles. At this point, the town was aware of at least 50 downed trees across local roads. Highway 11 remained closed. The Ontario Provincial Police said snow clearing efforts continued on Highway 11, between Highway 60 in Huntsville and West Street in Orillia. Snow removal resources from outside the community began to arrive. Resources came from York Region, Simcoe County, and Vaughan. The intent was to get roads open to at least one lane.

• Later in the day on Dec. 2, the OPP announced Highway 11 was starting to reopen. By late that night, both lanes of the highway were open to traffic.

• On the evening of Dec. 2, the town announced the Centennial Centre was transitioning from a warming centre to a formal reception centre, complete with beds, food, water, and showers. The Salvation Army (food), Global Medic (hygiene kits and administrative support), Feed Ontario (food hampers), and District of Muskoka (cots and blankets) assisted with the centre. Gravenhurst Calvary Church provided prepared meals. Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue arrived in the community and helped with telephone and in-person wellness checks. Members also helped ferry people to the centre and deliver supplies to homes.

• On Dec. 3, the town announced that cleanup operations continued. Town snowplow crews and contractors (Fowler, Robinson Haulage, and Prestige Contracting) and resources from other municipalities (York Region, Vaughan, Simcoe County) were hard at work. To ensure emergency services could get around, Southwood Road, Beiers Road, Uffington/Doe Lake Road, Houseys Rapids Road, and Coopers Falls Road were closed. This also allowed for the removal of downed trees, the restoration of utility services, the clearing of abandoned vehicles, and the removal of snow from the road.

• On Dec. 4, the town announced most roads were open to single-lane. Snow removal continued with help from contractors and municipal partners: Vaughan, York Region, and Simcoe County. Packed snow removal work began on in-town roads. Blower units from Vaughan and York Region were widening in-town roads to two-lane traffic. The town’s fleet was working to widen rural routes and put down sand. All district roads were open to two-lanes. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit opened its Gravenhurst office and began accepting well water samples. By this point, the town had cleared more than 65 trees that had fallen across roads. Hydro restoration continued.

• On Dec. 5, the town announced most in-town roads were now open to two-lanes of traffic and on these roads regular winter maintenance had resumed. The town was also starting to focus on cleaning up sidewalks in senior communities and school zones, and then elsewhere in the community. Sidewalk cleanup would take approximately two weeks. York Region and Vaughan continued to help with their blowers in town. The town said that the following week boulevard snow removal would start.

• Later in the day on Dec. 5, the town noted the Centennial Centre would close at 10:30 p.m. and that the reception centre was transitioning to a warming centre operating during regular hours. Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue stood down. Hydro restoration efforts continued.

• On Dec. 6, the town said all in-town roads were open to two lanes of traffic. Snow cleanup continued throughout the community. York Region and Vaughan continued to help. At the end of the day, York Region crews went home for the weekend and Vaughan stood down. Town crews began a 36-hour rest (they ended up coming in earlier) while contractors continued to work.

• On Dec. 9, the town said all Gravenhurst roads were now open to two-lane traffic. Town crews were conducting regular plow routes and treating roads with a sand/salt blend to provide traction. Roads were rough and pitted in spots with packed snow. Motorists were advised to drive according to road and weather conditions. Contractors were using graders to remove hard-packed snow from arterial roads. Staff and consulting engineers were conducting structural audits to determine how town buildings were coping with the snow load. As required, arrangements were made to remove snow from facility rooftops. The town’s sand dome collapsed on Dec. 8 due to the weight of the snow. The town began using sand from the Bracebridge dome.

• The town also noted on Dec. 9 that power was restored to most areas. Hydro One had a few small areas still without electricity.

• Also on Dec. 9, activities resumed at the Graeme Murray Arena and recreation programs resumed at the Centennial Centre on Dec. 12.

• On Dec. 11, the town noted that regular winter maintenance operations continued. Meanwhile, York Region was using blowers to clear snowbanks along John Street, from Winewood Avenue to Bay Street. Fowler Construction was using a grader to remove packed snow on Doe Lake Road, Houseys Rapids Road, and Coopers Falls Road. Fowler was also using a grader to remove packed snow on Southwood Road and Beiers Road. Robinson Haulage was using a grader to remove packed snow on Kilworthy, Baseline, and Canning roads. Trisan Construction used a loader/backhoe to remove packed snow on all roads on the east side of Bethune Drive, between Phillip Street and Highway 11. On the evening of Dec. 11, Robinson Haulage conducted cleanup operations on Muskoka Road South (including the downtown) from Winewood Avenue to James Street. Also, that evening, Trisan Construction did snowbank cleanup operations on Muskoka Beach Road, from Winewood Avenue to Evans Avenue. Work continued Dec. 12.

• On Dec. 13, the town announced that regular winter maintenance operations continued and that contractors would work over the weekend to remove snow from the urban core area. York Region stood down at the end of the day and the town thanked them for their assistance.

• On Dec. 16, the emergency control group met and agreed to end the state of emergency.

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