Grand Valley commemorates deadly tornado 40 years later

Damage from the tornado in Grand Valley, Ont., on Fri., May 31, 1985.

The community in Grand Valley, Ont. is holding an afternoon of commemoration on Saturday for the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Grand Valley Tornado.

On May 31st of that year, a series of tornadoes ripped through the farmlands that surround the Greater Toronto Area, including in the counties of Bruce, Dufferin, and Simcoe.

Grand Valley was among the communities that encountered an EF4-level tornado. At around 4:15 p.m., nearly 400 kilometre-an-hour winds ravaged through the town, resulting in two local deaths and widespread damage.

On Saturday, the town scheduled a full afternoon of formalities to commemorate the events of that tragic day, including a processional along Main Street, guest speakers, emergency management displays, and the sharing of historical footage.

The two Grand Valley deaths were among the 12 lives in total that were lost that day.

Eight of the deaths were in Barrie, which included four children, and the two other deaths were in Tottenham. More than 150 were injured in total.

The structural destruction in Grand Valley totalled 65 homes, five barns, three churches and two commercial buildings, as well as the town’s library and town hall.

Environment Canada later confirmed that the series of tornadoes amounted to 14, making it one of the worst tornado disasters in Canadian history.

With files from CTV’s Kim Phillips.