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Rain and localized flooding in parts of Ontario could slow restoration efforts this weekend to thousands of homes and businesses still without power after a series of punishing spring storms.

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Provincial utility provider Hydro One says 102,000 customers are without power Saturday, a slight improvement on the previous day’s numbers.

Hydro One’s latest update says forecasted weather conditions have grounded its helicopters and could slow efforts by the 4,000 crew members working to restore power.

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It says localized flooding and heavy rain have washed out roads in some areas, including Minden, where nearly 7,000 customers are without power.

Overwhelmed sewage treatment plants in several communities say they have had to send partially treated or untreated wastewater into local rivers in recent days.

Last weekend’s ice storm caused severe damage in cities like Orillia, which has turned its recreation centre into a relief station where residents can access essentials and charge their devices.

It was followed up by more heavy precipitation and high winds earlier this week.

Hydro One says it’s identified over 2,000 broken poles and entire sections of the local distribution grid will have to be rebuilt in some areas.

It says damage continues to be uncovered as crews access new areas and outages continue to be reported as customers check in on the status of secondary properties.

About 31,000 of the Hydro One outages are at secondary properties such as cottages and trailers.

The utility says restoration will continue into next week in some of the hardest-hit areas and could take even longer for customers in remote regions, such as those who can only be reached by water.

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Peterborough, where more than 14,000 customers are without power, has urged its residents to cut back on water use.

The nearby community of Kawartha Lakes, where more than 26,000 customers remain in the dark, has extended hours at some local landfills for residents cleaning up from the storm.

Premier Doug Ford says crews from across Canada are in Ontario working with provincial utility workers to get people’s power restored.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said a hydro crew from that province was headed to Ontario.

“Good neighbours help each other,” she said in a social media post Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2025.

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