A powerful winter storm sweeping across Central Ontario has resulted in widespread power disruptions, leaving tens of thousands in the dark. Hydro One, the province's largest electricity transmission and distribution company, reported that more than 60,000 customers were without power as of Monday, December 29, 2025.
Storm Causes Widespread Havoc
The severe weather system, which brought a mix of freezing rain, ice, and strong winds to the region, has been classified as 'hazardous' by officials. The dangerous conditions have led to downed power lines and damaged infrastructure, triggering the massive outage. The storm's impact was felt on Boxing Day, December 26, as evidenced by scenes of pedestrians navigating heavy snow in Toronto.
Hydro One's Response and Challenges
Crews from Hydro One are actively responding to the outages, but restoration efforts are being hampered by the ongoing severe weather and difficult travel conditions. The utility has not provided an estimated timeline for when all power will be restored, emphasizing that safety for both the public and repair crews is the top priority. Residents are being urged to stay away from any downed power lines and to report them immediately.
The storm-related disruptions extend beyond power outages. The severe weather has also caused interruptions to Montreal's REM light-rail network, highlighting the broad impact of the system across Eastern Canada.
A Broader Pattern of Severe Weather
This event is part of a pattern of intense winter weather affecting the country. Environment Canada has also issued a heavy rainfall warning for British Columbia's north coast, where up to 200 millimetres of rain is expected. Meanwhile, other parts of Eastern Canada are bracing for more freezing rain and blowing snow.
The situation in Ontario serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of infrastructure to extreme weather events. As climate patterns shift, such severe winter storms may pose an increasing challenge for utility providers and emergency services across Canada.
