When Orillia’s ice storm struck, it didn’t just freeze tree branches—it froze budgets, bank accounts, and a few eyebrows too.
Orillia, known for its vibrant community and picturesque scenery, recently found itself wrestling with a hefty price tag tied to storm recovery efforts. In the aftermath of the ice storm, which wreaked havoc on the city, initial cleanup costs have been estimated between $750,000 and $1 million within the first week alone. That’s right—a million dollars, and they haven’t even finished sweeping up the last broken branch.
In a city council meeting, Roger Young, General Manager of Environment and Infrastructure Services, laid out the sheer scale of the chaos. “Costs in the initial days were primarily centred around stabilizing the wastewater treatment system,” Young explained. This included the use of vacuum trucks and generators to keep essential services running amid power outages. And that was just the beginning. The work soon expanded to tree clearing and the operation of warming centres—temporary shelters that saw peak daytime usage by 1,550 residents and nightly averages of 72 people.
The cleanup became a city-wide effort, with Orillia’s fire chief, Chris Ferry, commending the community’s resilience. “Everyone jumped into motion,” Ferry said, noting how recreation staff pivoted from their usual roles to manage evacuation centres. It’s worth mentioning this was only the second state of emergency declared in Orillia, the first being during the COVID-19 pandemic. If there’s one thing this city knows, it’s how to pull together in times of crisis.
As generators hum and chainsaws roar across town, city crews are gradually scaling back their initial emergency operations. However, the work is far from over. The next phase involves tree removal and debris disposal—a process that promises to keep the cash register ringing. The silver lining? The province’s Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance program may cover some of these mounting expenses. For Orillia, every penny counts as they navigate this financial storm.
While the community’s collective efforts have been nothing short of heroic, the ice storm has revealed just how vulnerable even the most prepared cities can be to nature’s fury. The question now isn’t just how Orillia will recover, but how it will prepare to weather the next storm—both literally and financially.
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Cost to clean up Orillia could exceed $1 million in first week
