Utility crews responding to outages across the region

HydroOne says crews are working to restore power to areas experiencing outages across central and eastern Ontario.

Officials say the freezing rain accumulation is causing tree limbs and branches to break, leading to widespread power disruptions, adding the risk continues across parts of the province throughout the weekend.

“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,” they add.

As of 12:00 p.m., thousands are still without power across Muskoka, Parry Sound, and Haliburton. Restoration time for most of the outages is estimated between 5 and 11 p.m. tonight.

Power outages can be reported by texting 92887 (WATTS), through the company’s outage map and app, or by calling 1-800-434-1235. Outage information is updated every 10 minutes, and estimated restoration times are provided after damage assessment.