Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — “It’s all hands on deck. We will get through this. We always do. It’s not tough times, it’s tough people. Gravenhurst has shown that time and time again.”

That was Mayor Heidi Lorenz this morning as Gravenhurst grappled with a massive weekend storm that dumped well over a metre of snow “corner to corner” on the central Ontario community that is no stranger to winter.

Even if it is the last days of November and first day of December.

Still, she was sending the message for residents to “stay home” as the town declared a state of emergency in a news release at 2:30 a.m. today.

Town plows, firefighters and emergency management personnel have been “tirelessly working around the clock.”

Hopefully by Tuesday, she said, the aim is that “things should be back to normalcy.”

Meanwhile, the OPP said in a release at 1:45 p.m. Sunday that numerous roads remain closed and impassable in the impacted area, including Highway 11 which will remain 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.

Lorenz said the town’s emergency management team made the decision after days of meeting and finally confirming at their latest gathering at 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

She said the move was prompted largely by the inability of its plows, its firefighters, paramedics and police to access much of the south end of the community after Hwy. 11 was closed between the downtown core and Washago.

She believes the exact location was “somewhere around Kilworthy.”

“Whole parts of the community are cut off because we can’t clear our roads and we can’t get help in from outside.”

The declaration with the co-operation and co-ordination of the province ensures the town can call on its resources and those of surrounding municipalities.

The province has offered all help it can, Lorenz said in a media Zoom call update from home at 11 a.m. Sunday. And adding that she has spoken with MPP Graydon Smith who also offered his help.

Already Severn Township to the south is sending north five loaders and blowers if they can get through. York County has also offered help.

With “all hands on deck,” she expects “to see some real action today and in the days ahead.”

She said the storm has affected the community “corner to corner” and with 2,200 people still without power Sunday morning as extended Elexicon hydro outages going on and off since Friday.

Lorenz said that cars and trucks on Hwy. 11 that blocked clearing were towed either to the town hall parking lot or one at the Canadian Tire.

She said “nine” different groups of travellers were assisted from their vehicles, including seven from one family and other singles. They were put up with the help of Muskoka Victim Services in hotels, already seeing increased volumes. Other drivers helped off the road were able to later continue their journeys north or south.

The town’s community centre is open as a warming centre, but the mayor urged people to stay home where it is warm and not risk going out on blocked roads and making the job of plows and emergency workers more difficult.

Some people also got stuck trying to take detours around clogged roads.

“Thankfully,” she said there have been no injuries or emergency medical calls and paramedics have been able to traverse the main arterial roads like Bethune Drive, Muskoka Road and Hwy. 169 (Bay Street) without much incident. Those are the primary routes the district focuses first on to keep open and clear. Side streets in town are secondary and will be cleared in the coming days.

Help has been widespread.

“This is where the community shines.”

She hasn’t seen or experienced “anything like this” since moving here in 1997.

She’s seen “neighbours helping neighbours.”

And urges those able to check on their neighbours who may need contact or help.

A big part of the problem has been “dozens of trees” down that complicate the cleanup.

Lorenz said she is “grateful” that the snow has stopped and the weather forecast is more promising for everyone including crews who have to follow up through tons of snow and road banks that tower small children.

She wanted to “thank everyone” for helping shovel out neighbours and supporting the community any other way they can — and of course staying home if they don’t have to venture out today and tomorrow.

Watch for more updates throughout the day and days ahead.

S-NOTES:

Church services were also impacted.

MichelleDesmarais-Hodgkinson, administrative assistant at the Catholic church in Gravenhurst, emailed parishioners: “Please be aware that due to massive, unprecedented snow fall in Gravenhurst leading to town-wide hydro outages, unplowed roads and Gravenhurst declaring a state of emergency Sunday morning mass at 10:30 a.m. is cancelled. I cannot get to the church to access phone list so PLEASE pass this message on and reach out to anyone you know that may be trying to attend.”

Garbage collection slowed or closed

The District of Muskoka says it anticipates the following sites will be closed Sunday:

South Gibson Depot (Georgian Bay)

Housey’s Rapids Depot (Gravenhurst)

Baxter Transfer Station (Georgian Bay)

Beiers Transfer Station (Gravenhurst)

Eveleigh Transfer Station (Muskoka Lakes)

Ridout Transfer Station (Lake of Bays)

Saturday it had said garbage, green box and blue bin pickups would also be slowed.

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