BARRIE, Ontario, March 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alectra Utilities’ powerline crews will continue restoration efforts overnight on Sunday to return service to approximately 18,000 customers still without power in Barrie, Penetanguishene and Richmond Hill. This is down from the more than 44,000 customers who were without power at the height of the storm early Sunday morning.
Alectra crews are working 24/7 in very challenging and hazardous conditions, prioritizing public safety and critical infrastructure while restoring service as efficiently as possible. The utility has also brought in additional forestry crews to clear downed tree limbs from around the damaged powerlines in advance of the emergency crews that are repairing the grid. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the damage from ice accretion across Alectra’s service territory, and significant tree damage in downtown Barrie that is complicating restoration, some customers will be without power overnight and into Monday morning.
Customers can continue to get outage updates by following the Alectra X account, @AlectraNews, or by viewing the outage map at alectrautilities.com.
As power is restored, if residents notice that their neighbours have power again, but they are still out, it may be because their home’s service mast was damaged during the storm. Here is what they’ll need to know before we can re-energize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ8AWvfN_oo.
Refrigerated food should be checked if power has been out for a lengthy period. We recommend avoiding opening your refrigerator or freezer doors unless necessary. Keep them closed as much as possible to prevent cold air from escaping. Learn more about ‘food safety in an emergency’ here: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-drinking-water-safe-emergency.html#a3. Additional safety information can be found at alectrautilities.com/what-do-during-outage.
We know this is an extremely difficult time for those still without power, especially given the weather. We want to express our sincere appreciation to our customers for their patience, resilience and understanding as we work to restore service safely.
About Alectra Utilities
Serving more than one million homes and businesses and approximately three million people in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe area, Alectra Utilities is the largest municipally-owned electric utility in Canada, based on the total number of customers served. We contribute to the economic growth and vibrancy of the 17 communities we serve by investing in essential energy infrastructure, delivering a safe and reliable supply of electricity, and providing innovative energy solutions. Our mission is to be an energy ally, helping our customers and the communities we serve to discover the possibilities of tomorrow’s energy future.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0ceacb1-6c95-492e-afb5-7e93a8d63238