TORONTO — Snow-clearing crews are slowly making progress after an intense weekend storm battered parts of Ontario, allowing Highway 11 north of Toronto to reopen on Monday.
But one of the hardest-hit communities in Ontario's cottage country is still under a state of emergency and urging people to stay home as cleanup continues.
The northbound lanes of Highway 11, which had been closed between Orillia and Huntsville, reopened around noon on Monday. Ontario Provincial Police said the southbound lanes would also reopen later in the afternoon.
However, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said that not every highway entrance and exit has reopened as snow plowing continues.
The prolonged closure of Highway 11 and the accumulation of more than a metre of snow prompted Gravenhurst, a town in Ontario's Muskoka region, to declare a state of emergency over the weekend.
It remained in effect Monday, with the town urging people to avoid travelling by foot or car.
"Attempting to navigate roads hinders workers’ abilities to deal with snow removal, downed trees, and downed power lines," the town said in an update on its website, noting that its emergency services may not be able to respond to calls.
"Town snowplow crews and contractors continue to clear roads, but this work is limited and slow because of obstacles across roads and snow volume."
Intense snow squalls shifted to parts of southwestern Ontario on Monday, forcing the Thames Valley District School Board in the London region to close five schools after school bus service was cancelled.
Environment Canada has issued a snow squall warning for areas including London, Middlesex, Oxford County, Lambton County, and Huron-Perth, with up to 60 centimetres of snow expected in some regions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2024.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press