Gravenhurst lifts state of emergency after record snowfalls blanketed town

Gravenhurst state of emergency finally lifted The Town of Gravenhurst lifts its state of emergency after the declaration was made more than two weeks ago.

The Town of Gravenhurst is lifting its state of emergency.

After more than three feet of snow fell on the cottage-country town November 30, highways closed leaving people stranded and others without power as limbs fell on hydro lines.

The town's people pulled together to help each other through the at times desperate situation, as town staff rallied to attend to those suffering the most through the devastating snow storm.

In the early morning hours of December 1, Mayor Heidi Lorenz declared a state of emergency due to substantial snowfall in the community and the almost three-day closure of Highway 11.

The closed highway kept the municipality from being able to properly deploy its snowplows and keep roads open. The highway closure also kept contractors from accessing the community.

The winter storm knocked down hydro lines and hundreds of trees and limbs, which further delayed winter maintenance efforts.

"I want to thank our public works staff, our contractors, and our municipal partners for all their assistance with the cleanup," Mayor Heidi Lorenz said. "I also want to recognize our staff who helped in other ways – the individuals sitting on our emergency control group, people answering phone calls and e-mails, the team that opened our town hall to stranded travellers, and the team that launched and ran our reception centre."

The mayor extended her gratitude to Gravenhurst Fire Department members.

"Our firefighters spent days helping people in need during the emergency. They ferried goods to them, transported people to our reception centre, and conducted dozens of wellness checks. These brave people worked around the clock, and they deserve our eternal gratitude," she said.

Lorenz also paid tribute to various organizations for their assistance during the state of emergency, including the Ontario Provincial Police, Muskoka Paramedics, Emergency Management Ontario, the Salvation Army, Global Medic, Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue and Feed Ontario.

She also praised hydro workers for restoring power to homes and businesses in Gravenhurst.

"Elexicon and Hydro One worked diligently for several days to get the lights back on and we are grateful for their efforts. The work was daunting at times, but these brave individuals kept at it," Lorenz said.

The local business community also stepped up during the emergency, she said. Various restaurants and at least one grocery store provided food to stranded motorists and Taboo Resort made rooms available to stranded motorists rescued from Highway 11.

"These acts exemplify all that is good about our business community. I thank our business owners and their staff for their kindness," the mayor said.

"Speaking on behalf of council and our staff, I want to thank residents for their perseverance, their tenacity, their patience, and the caring way that people looked out for each other. I also want to acknowledge the people who are frustrated. We hear you. And I promise we will review what led to this emergency and our response," she said.

Scott Lucas, chief administrative officer for Gravenhurst, said he is proud of town staff for their efforts during the emergency.

"Our team worked extremely well together, no matter what we faced. People in all departments rolled up their sleeves and helped in a variety of ways," he said.

"And when stranded travellers on Highway 11 needed a place to go on the Saturday night of the snowstorm (Nov. 30), we had staff brave the elements and open the town hall so that people had a place to stay that was warm and secure.

“We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated and caring group of people working for the municipality,” Lucas said.