A state of emergency has been declared in both Bonfield and Calvin after a violent storm tore through northern Ontario late Saturday night, leaving flooded roads, downed trees, and trapped residents in its wake. The Municipality of Calvin issued a shelter-in-place order, warning that all municipal roads are closed due to flooding and debris. Highway 17 was shut between Bonfield and Mattawa, with access to Samuel de Champlain Park blocked, until 8 p.m. on Sunday. “Flooding and downed trees have forced all municipal roads to close. Highway 17 at Junction 630 to Mattawa is closed. No access to Samuel de Champlain Park,” Calvin Township stated in a social media post early Sunday. Canadian Ecology Centre hit hard Bill Steer, the founder and general manager of the Canadian Ecology Centre in Samuel de Champlain Park, described the storm and its aftermath. “It was around 9 p.m. (Saturday) that the wind started to pick up, and there was a lull. Then, afterwards, I called my daughter at about 9:13. The winds picked up. Things started crashing down on the cabin,” Steer told CTV News. He recounted taking cover as a tree crashed through his roof. “I got up, went over to the strongest part of the cabin, got on all fours, and then a tree came in through the roof in the corner,” he said. “It was all over in about 30 seconds.” Despite the destruction, Steer confirmed that all staff and visitors at the ecology centre were accounted for. “All is well enough at the Canadian Ecology Centre after last night’s extreme weather event,” he posted on social media. “Devastation ... trapped here by trees. Again , ... everyone is accounted for, the generators are on.” Officials advised that following the evacuation, the centre may be forced to close for some time for repairs and clean up. Emergency response The Ontario Provincial Police have urged residents to avoid non-essential travel as crews work to clear debris and assess damage. “Emergency responders are working as quickly and safely as possible,” the OPP stated in a news release Sunday morning. An evacuation centre has been set up at the Mike Rodden Arena in Mattawa. “Coats, blankets, water and batteries were made available to individuals affected by the closure at Champlain Park,” said OPP officials. “Those needing shelter, not able to get home, shelter and food available there,” Calvin Township confirmed. Calvin’s Deputy Mayor Bill Moreton declared the emergency early Sunday, citing “heavy damage and injuries” at Champlain Park. “Many roads are washed out, and culverts are eroding, making any travel unsafe,” he said. “If you are currently delayed due to road closures or sheltering in place, please remain patient and stay where you are if it is safe to do so,” advised authorities. Cell and landline service is non-existent in some areas in the region. “OPP wants to remind those trying to reach loved ones by cell phone, that the lines continue to be affected,” said police. “Red Cross is on scene at the arena, to receive the evacuees,” said Calvin Township in an update just before 11 a.m. on Sunday. As of shortly after 3 p.m., OPP confirmed they had completed the the evacuation of Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park. “No new injuries being reported today,” authorities wrote on social media at the time. Emergency responders are now in Kiosk Provincial Park and are conducting search efforts. “OPP is asking anyone who may have evacuated on their own, to contact the North Bay OPP Detachment at 705-495-3878 to confirm your well-being,” said police. Bonfield also hit hard In nearby Bonfield, roads were left impassable after the storm. “Pine Lake Road has been temporarily repaired for one lane of traffic. McNutt Road is closed, and Talon Lake Road is one lane,” the township posted at 6:25 a.m. Sunday. “Line 3 is water-covered and one lane near tracks.” Volunteers worked through the night to clear fallen trees. “We made it up to Kearney Lake but couldn’t clear it completely,” one resident’s social media post read. “The access road is now drivable but in bad shape.” The same post speculated, “100 per cent must have been a tornado,” but the presence of one has not been confirmed by officials. Olivia-Daisy Collins posted photos that her boyfriend, Scott Ferron, took of Highway 630, showing the roadway almost destroyed by the storm near the area’s power station. Campers come together to get to safety Cori Lynn Barron and her fiancé, Michael Holden, were camping at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park when severe winds toppled trees around them, trapping their vehicle and forcing a daring escape. “We were in our little pop-up trailer, and we started hearing some branches come down,” said Barron. After relocating to their truck, a tree fell in front and behind them, leaving them stranded as winds “took down like every tree and literally everything in sight.” The couple then heard cries for help. “Two people, like a couple, came running for our car ... jumping over trees to get in,” the couple said. The pair, their barefoot campsite neighbours, had fled their tent. Barron and Holden self-evacuated, later meeting emergency responders. “We hiked ourselves out to where we could see the EMS rescue,” they added. Additional resources deployed The OPP has called in its emergency response teams, SAVE team, canine units, aviation unit and military support from Petawawa to assist with recovery efforts. In a related incident, two campers in Algonquin Park were injured when a tree fell on their site. One was airlifted to hospital by a Ministry of Natural Resources float plane. “The Ministry of Natural Resources has also been contacted for support,” OPP said Sunday morning. North Bay City Councillor Tanya Vrebosch confirmed that North Bay Fire Services deployed personnel overnight to assist. “After seeing pictures of some of the damage caused, I reached out this morning to see if we would be sending out any of our public works staff as well,” she said on social media. “To our neighbours in the Mattawa area, please reach out if you need anything.” North Bay had brought in resources to backfill within the city. East Ferris and West Nipissing’s fire services joined rescue efforts on Sunday morning. Mattawa fire officials advise that about 100 fire fighters are now actively assisting with evacuation efforts in the area. CTV News also confirmed that Anishinabek Police Services are in the area offering emergency assistance. The North Bay Regional Health Centre declared a Code Orange alert Sunday morning in anticipation of a full Code Orange (external disaster) declaration, should the states of emergency in the region and the significant damage at Champlain Park in Mattawa escalate. “There is potential for a high volume of patients and there could be longer than normal wait times in our emergency department for non-emergency care,” the hospital said on social media, adding that its incident command centre has been activated. Mattawa Hospital has also posted a Code Orange alert. “There have been several individuals that suffered injuries, but the extent of the injuries is not known at this time,” said police. “There are no fatalities reported (as of Sunday evening.)” Nipissing MPP Victor Fedeli has been on site to get a “first-hand look” at the devastation and has assured area residents that the province will be there to help. “Spoke to local mayors and officials regarding the highways (after the) area storm,” he wrote on social media. “Thank you to all the emergency workers ... and to everyone else who lent a hand.” Ontario’s minister of emergency preparedness and response echoed the local MPP’s sentiments. “A big thank you to all the emergency responders, Ornge team, hydro workers, Global Medic, 211 and local volunteers for stepping up to assist our communities,” Jill Dunlop wrote on social media at about 3 p.m. Authorities said approximately 290 people were evacuated from affected provincial parks as of 8 p.m. on Sunday. “Crews are actively working in the area to assess damage, clear debris and assist those affected,” said OPP. “OPP thanks the public for their patience and cooperation, and all emergency personnel and community partners for their continued support throughout this response. Their efforts have been vital to public safety.” Uncertainty over tornado Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area Saturday night, but there has been no official confirmation of a tornado. CTV News reached out to the Northern Tornadoes Project, which is now reviewing the information available to determine the magnitude of the weather event. The project is sending a team from London, Ont., to Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park to assess the location. “One of the things that we look for when we’re doing damage investigation is patterns of damage, where the damage occurred, what was damaged, what direction even were they damaged,” Connell Miller, the acting director of the Northern Tornadoes Project. “That can tell us a lot.” The project hopes to make a determination if it was a tornado by Monday evening. Steer, surveying the damage at dawn, described an eerie scene. “Can’t see any cabins for all the downed trees in the distance,” he said in a video statement posted to social media. “There’s literally hundreds of trees down.” Despite the destruction, Steer remained cautiously optimistic. “The sky has elements of blue,” he said speaking with CTV News Sunday morning. “They are working their way through the park.” Area residents are advised to call 911 for emergencies and or the OPP non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122 for updates. Bonfield citizens can also call 705-776-2659 for information, while Calvin has set up 1-877-330-3213 as a dedicated line for information. With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Eric Taschner
