KAWARTHA LAKESThe freezing rain storm has passed, but its effects are still being felt across the municipality, especially with ongoing power outages.
The City of Kawartha Lakes Emergency Operations Centre met this morning to reassess the situation. Cleanup efforts are underway and will continue in coordination with Hydro One crews as they work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. It’s possible it may be several days until full power is restored across Kawartha Lakes.
Roads
The Significant Weather Event Declaration remains in effect due to road access in many locations. 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. Please do not report a downed tree across roads; we are taking steps to clear the roads as quickly and safely as possible.
Road closures and conditions are available at www.municipal511.ca.
Lindsay Transit
Service has resumed.
Landfill
Lindsay Landfill is open March 31 from 8am to 5pm
Somerville Landfill is open 11am to 5pm
Bring your yard waste/storm debris, no tipping fees due to storm until further notice.
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.
Parks and Recreation
All facilities and programming is cancelled.
Libraries
All branches are closed.
Warming Centres
Victoria Park Armoury
Monday March 31, 10am to 8pm
City Hall, Victoria Room
8:30am to 4:30 pm
For those in need of water access, device charging, or a warm space, please feel welcome to visit our warming centres.
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:
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 at www.kawarthalakes.ca/reportit.
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 Monday March 31.
Flood Prone Areas
Kawartha Conservation has issued a Flood Outlook, in effect until Monday March 31. Flood Outlook is an early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high wind or conditions that could lead to high runoff, cause ice jams, lakeshore flooding or erosion.
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: https://www.kawarthalakes.ca/
Hydro One Update – crews out in full force
It’s all hands on deck as crews continue to work alongside our contractors to restore power to customers. Crews have restored power to more than 358,000 customers since the start of the storm. We anticipate it will take several days to restore all customers.
The estimated time of restoration for each outage has been updated to reflect current conditions so that customers can make the right decision for their family based on the latest information. We won’t stop until every customer is restored.
Stay clear of any fallen power lines. If you spot a fallen line, keep at least 10 metres back, even if it does not appear to be live. Report it to Hydro One at 1-800-434-1235.
Hydro One prioritizes restoration in a way that brings power back to the greatest number of customers in the shortest period of time. Crews need to repair and rebuild main lines along with other key pieces of electricity infrastructure before repairs can be made to power lines that serve smaller numbers of customers.
To protect your home from flooding, where safe to do so, remove debris from gutters, eavestroughs and downspouts. If flooding occurs and water starts to reach electrical outlets, baseboard heaters or furnace, customers should call us at 1-800-434-1235 to have power safely turned off. Do not enter any flooded areas, such as the basement, until power is disconnected.
