Cost of ice storm cleanup in Barrie reaches $12M, with tree loss climbing

Crews work to clear branches and debris from properties in a south Barrie, Ont., neighbourhood on Fri. May 2, 2025. (CTV News/Rob Cooper)

The City of Barrie says thousands of trees were damaged or destroyed by a powerful ice storm that swept through the region on March 30, resulting in an estimated $12 million cleanup bill that is only expected to climb.

According to the City’s Parks and Forestry Operations manager, Kevin Rankin, more than 15,000 street and park trees sustained considerable damage or were destroyed, and Rankin says that figure doesn’t include damage in forested areas, along trails or near watercourses. Those are are still being evaluated by a team of tree risk assessors.

“To date, nearly 3,000 trees have been removed due to significant damage and/or failure from the ice accumulation,” Rankin noted, adding more removals are expected as assessments continue in parks and natural areas.

So far, over 40,000 trees have had risk assessments completed by certified arborists. The assessments are a critical part of the city’s multi-stage response to the storm, which aims to ensure public safety while protecting what remains of Barrie’s green spaces.

Next Steps

Rankin says tree risk assessors will continue with removing trees deemed hazardous. Additionally, assessments will be completed in parks and in forested areas, pruning will be done to broken branches and damaged trees that are salvageable, and stump grinding will take place after removals are completed.

Finally, the replanting process will begin to replace the trees lost in the storm. The City says it doesn’t anticipate to start replanting until next spring, subject to the council approval of the budget.

Residents are urged to stay cautious in areas with visible storm damage and to report fallen or hazardous trees to the city by calling 705-726-4242 or via email.

There is no timeline for when the cleanup will be completed.