Intense Ontario snow strands vehicles, knocks out power as town calls emergency

Intense snow squalls battering Ontario are moving south after burying some central and northern parts of the province under more than a metre of snow, stranding vehicles and prompting one town to declare a state of emergency. 

Gravenhurst, a town in Ontario’s Muskoka region hit with around 140 centimetre of snowfall, has declared a state of emergency in response to a prolonged highway closure and limited emergency services. 

Ontario Provincial Police say numerous roads remain closed and impassable, including Highway 11 which is closed in both directions between Highway 60 in Huntsville and West Street in Orillia.

“Other sections of Highway 11 are also closed at this time, and many other roads in the area are closed or not driveable. Tractor trailers are asked to use Highway 35 in the meantime as Highway 11 is impassable,” police said in a release on Sunday.

OPP say emergency crews helped to pull people from their cars on Saturday and bring them to the Gravenhurst Town Hall, which was powered by generators as widespread power outages hit the area. 

Police, paramedics and firefighters have been using snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles to check on stranded motorists and officials are asking that anyone who finds themselves stranded to stay with their vehicle and not venture out on foot.

“Pedestrians could become lost or face hazards posed by snow removal equipment.”

Premier Doug Ford says his government is working closely with local authorities in Gravenhurst and across the Muskoka region to ensure they have everything they need to respond to Saturday’s snowstorm.

“Provincial resources are on hand and more are en route to help where needed. I’m relieved that there are no injuries or fatalities reported. Paramedics are checking in on the elderly and vulnerable people. As cleanup crews continue their work, the best thing people in the area can do is stay home and stay safe until power is restored and roads and highways have been safely opened again,” he wrote in a social media post on Sunday.

Hydro One, the provincial utility, has reported that the number of customers without power soared to more than 60,000 as of Sunday morning.

Environment Canada has warned that areas around London, the Bruce Peninsula and Collingwood could be in store for more than 30 centimetres of snow by Tuesday. 

A winter weather travel advisory was also in place for a band stretching from around Kitchener to Newmarket, where the forecast suggested between five and 10 centimetres of snow could fall Sunday.

680 NewsRadio meteorologist Jessie Uppal says the relentless snow squalls that have been battering the traditional snowbelt regions for the past few days will be on the move thanks to a change in the wind direction and could impact northern areas of the GTA on Sunday.

“Caledon, Newmarket, Northern York Region could get 5 to 10 cm snow along with poor visibility throughout the afternoon. Other areas of the GTA are looking at widespread flurries and periods of light snow, likely a trace to a few centimetres,” she said.