Storm update for Kawartha Lakes on March 31, evening

Kawartha Lakes – The City of Kawartha Lakes has declared a State of Emergency, March 31, 2025, in response to the severe ice storm that hit our area and the escalating impacts.

The decision comes as prolonged freezing rain has caused widespread power outages, hazardous road conditions, downed trees and hydro lines, and damage to public and private infrastructure. Areas of the City are also experiencing network outages and disruptions. These outages and disruptions are impacting communication channels – phones, internet and email.

The City of Kawartha Lakes Emergency Operations Centre was established over the weekend and is monitoring conditions, working with the Province and neighbouring municipalities to address conditions and redeploy resources as needed.

Power has been restored to parts of Lindsay and Fenelon Falls, but full restoration may take several days. We will continue to monitor storm impacts and provide updates on facility status, road conditions and municipal services through our website and social media channels.

Please avoid unnecessary travel as Hydro One crews respond to downed power lines and power outages and the City responds to downed trees and tree limbs on roads.

We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as we navigate the challenges brought by this major weather event. Our teams are working diligently to address the impacts.

Mayor Elmslie commented, “While the situation was serious from the start, the full extent of the damage and the length of power outages became clearer over the last 12 hours. We are anticipating power outages for at least 48 hours in some areas, and Hydro One has shared with us that it may be the rest of the week. This will impact our ability to maintain continuity of service.

Meantime, we have warming centres available for residents who do not have power. We have waived fees at the landfills for yard debris from the storm. We stand ready to assist as needed. If you need help, please reach out to our Customer Service team by phone or online. As always, if it’s an emergency to your health and safety, call 911.

Thank you for continuing to look out for each other, and to be patient while we move through this next phase. Thank you to the incredible crews and emergency responders who have been working around the clock. Your dedication is greatly appreciated.”

Roads

Crews are making progress clearing the roads of debris. Several downed power lines are creating hazards. Please respect the barricades put in place by police and public works.

Please treat all intersections as 4-way stops. Traffic lights have exceeded backup power and are not functioning in many urban areas.

Multiple crews of contracted, Parks staff and other municipalities are assisting to clear the roads. Road closures and conditions are available at www.municipal511.ca.

Report an Issue

Lindsay Transit

Service has resumed.

Landfill

Lindsay Landfill is open April 1 to April 5 from 8am to 5pm

Bring your yard waste/storm debris, no tipping fees due to storm until further notice.

Waste Collection

Missed collections will have double collection the following week.

Please note: Where possible, postponing non-essential septic disposal is appreciated.

City Administration

All offices are closed with the exception of City Hall, 26 Francis Street, which remains open from 8:30am to 4:30pm. A warming room is available on the second floor, Victoria Room. Hydration stations and washrooms are available. Residents are welcome to charge their devices and warm up.

Human Services Offices in Lindsay and Haliburton are closed.

Ward 5 By-Election

The election runs April 1 through 10. Online voting is open at 9am. In person help is available from 9am until 4:30pm at City Hall.

Parks and Recreation

All facilities and programming are cancelled until further notice.

Libraries

All branches are closed until further notice.

Warming Centres

For those in need of water access, device charging, or a warm space, please feel welcome to visit our warming centres. Please bring refillable water bottles.

Fire Stations

Tuesday April 1 and Wednesday April 2, 8am to 4pm

Bobcaygeon Fire Station

1 Duke Street, Bobcaygeon
Find Station 3 on Google Maps

Bethany Fire Station

88 Ski Hill Road, Bethany
Find Station 7 on Google Maps

Mariposa Fire Station

552 Eldon Road, Little Britain
Find Station 21 on Google Maps

Burnt River Station

186 Burnt River Road, Burnt River
Find Station 20 on Google Maps

City Hall, Victoria Room
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm
Find City Hall on Google Maps

Victoria Park Armoury
Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm,
210 Kent Street West, Lindsay
Find the Armoury on Google Maps

Fenelon Falls Community Centre
Tuesday April 1 and Wednesday April 2, 8am to 4pm
27 Veterans Way, Fenelon Falls
Find the Fenelon Community Centre on Google Maps

All other Community Centres are closed due to power outage.

Boil Water Advisories

Residents within the Sonya Drinking Water System,Pinewood Drinking Water System (Pontypool) and Norland Drinking Water System, are under Boil Water Advisories. For more information, please review the advisories:

Sonya

Pinewood, Pontypool

Norland

All other drinking water systems remain operational and water is safe to drink.

Customer service

Monday to Friday 8:30 to 4:30, call 705-324-9411 or 1-888-822-2225.
After Hours Municipal Emergencies call: 1-877-885-7337
Please report any issues concerning public health and safety online: Report it

If you experience damage to your property: call your insurance company.

If you are experiencing risk to public health and safety: call 911.

School Board Cancellations

The Trillium Lakelands District School Board and Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board will close all schools, Virtual Learning Centre, education centres and child care centres in schools on Tuesday April 1.

Flood Prone Areas

Kawartha Conservation has issued a Watershed Conditions Statement - Flood Watch, in effect until April 3. Flood Watch - warns that flooding is possible. Municipalities, emergency services, and individual landowners in flood-prone areas should prepare.

To assist with flood preparedness, Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue and Public Works have provided free sandbags at the following locations:

Fill-Your-Own Sandbags (bring a shovel)

• Ward Park Norland Community Centre (7675 Highway 35 North, Norland)
• Dalton Community Centre (13 Rumohr Drive, Sebright)
• Chisholm Trail (South of Black River Road near Amon Drive)

Pre-Filled Sandbags (Available starting the evening of March 19, 2025)

• Burnt River Community Centre (16 Somerville Centre Road, Burnt River)

Supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis—please only take what you need.

Sand and bags locations are available at www.municipal511.ca.

Who To Call, When?

Please call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

If you're in Lindsay or Ops, call Kawartha Lakes Police Service:
We are receiving a large number of calls for service due to the ice storm.

Please use 911 for emergencies only.

For all others please call the non-emergency line at 705-324-5252.

If you're outside of Lindsay or Ops, call Kawartha Lakes OPP:
1-888-310-1122

Visit our website for a list of common issues and contact information.

Hydro One Update – restoration may take the rest of the week in some areas

Since the storm began late Friday night, we have restored power to nearly 532,000 customers, and we remain focused on bringing back those still affected. It’s all hands on deck as our crews, alongside contractors, continue working tirelessly to restore power to customers. Additional crews are being mobilized from other areas to support the hardest-hit regions.

With no significant weather in the forecast, today is the first full day of restoration efforts without additional outages slowing progress. This also allows us to deploy helicopters for the first time to assess damage in hard-to-reach locations.

However, road access remains a challenge in some areas, and safety concerns persist due to falling trees and tree limbs. We urge everyone to stay safe by keeping at least 10 metres away from any fallen power lines and reporting them immediately to Hydro One.

Given the severity and widespread damage of this storm, we are updating our estimated times of restoration. In the hardest-hit areas, restoration efforts will take most of the week. Crews are prioritizing repairs to main lines from local stations to communities and restoring power to critical customers first. As work continues, additional damage may be uncovered, leading to further outages. For customers in more remote locations, restoration may take longer.

---

Staying connected during the storm

Activate your Jump Inbox to be the first to know about municipal alerts. Follow us on X, Facebook.

- 30 -

Media Inquiries

Media are welcome to visit our Media Portal for high resolution images.