Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) yesterday reminded residents and visitors that there are still a number of traffic lights out due to the aftermath of the storm this past weekend.
“Please make sure you are treating these intersections like a four way stop,” it said while offering “a huge thank you to our 9-1-1 communications team who worked tirelessly answering thousands of storm-related calls (1,740 in three hours) and worked behind the scenes coordinating assistance. A special thanks also goes to our IT team who ensured everything was in working order.”
City of Pickering
The city said homeowners may have additional yard waste and brush as a result of this weekend’s storm. Residents are reminded that burning brush/yard waste is prohibited.
It advised residents to leave yard waste at curb for Region of Durham to collect, or bring it to a Regional Waste Facility http://durham.ca/waste. It said the Region of Durham has advised that due to the storm, some residents may have an increased amount of food to dispose of.
While the four-bag limit has not been lifted by the region at this time, here’s what you can do:
- Dispose of spoiled food in your green bin
- Place spoiled food in clear bags near your green bin and it will be collected
Clean-up Efforts: Please be patient as our crews work to clear downed trees and respond to safety reports. Crews are working through areas of priority, first clearing the roadways for the safe passage of vehicles and emergency services. Boulevard clearing and other areas will be addressed at a later date. Trees around hydro lines will be forwarded to and addressed by the city’s contractor or Elexicon Energy crews. Report downed trees to the City’s Customer Care at 905.683.7575.
Status of City Facilities: Closed until further notice are
- The Pickering Museum Village
- Dunmoore baseball diamond 2
- Beverley Morgan track
- Amberlea splash pad
All other city facilities are operating under regular business hours.
Access to charging stations and TV/Radio: Residents without power can visit the below locations on May 23, 2022 from 10 am to 6 pm to charge their devices and access local news updates:
- Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex (microwaves available for public use)
- George Ashe Community Centre (microwaves available for public use)
- Dr. Nelson F. Tomlinson Community Centre
Customer Care Centre: Pickering Customer Care Centre and after-hours service are experiencing high call volume. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we respond to questions and reports.
- 905.683.7575
- customercare@pickering.ca
Property Damage: Residents and businesses can report property damage to their insurance company. The insurance company will be able to provide the necessary assistance and advice. Severe weather events are often unpredictable and can happen at any time. Please note that the city is not responsible for damages caused by fallen city trees or branches.
Questions? Contact our Customer Care Centre at 905.683.7575.
Safety Information:
- Do not attempt to remove a tree or object from a power line.
- Always consider downed power lines to be live and dangerous. Electricity can travel through water and the ground around downed power lines. Stay back at least 10 metres (33 feet) or the length of a school bus.
- If your vehicle makes contact with an energized line, stay inside until help arrives.
Get safety tips on power outages and more at Ontario.ca.
Town of Ajax
Storm debris disposal: The Oshawa Waste Management Facility at 1640 Ritson Road North will accept storm debris from Ajax residents until May 28 (8 am to 8 pm). Leaf and yard waste will also be accepted until June 6. Typical fees will be waived to support the storm recovery.
Starting, May 26, the town will collect and chip branches/limbs left on boulevards. Depending on volume, it could take several weeks for the town to complete.
Damaged municipal trees (boulevards, parks and open space system): Please e-mail a description of the issue, associated address, and photo to operations@ajax.ca. Emails will be assessed and prioritized by town forestry staff.
Town facilities and rest areas: TOA Community Centres (Ajax Community Centre, McLean Community Centre and Audley Recreation Centre) are open for resting, charging of electronic devices, access to wifi and showers during normal operating hours.
Town of Whitby
Garbage Collection: If residents have additional food waste to dispose of due to power outages, they can put it out with their regular black bag garbage collection, over and above their normal four-bag limit until June 13. Bags must weigh less than 20 kilograms (44 pounds).
Debris and Yard Waste Collection: While the town is currently prioritizing roads and sidewalks blocked by fallen trees and debris, it also has a plan to collect and properly dispose of the additional debris and brush caused by the storm. Residents simply need to move the debris from their property to the curb as outlined below. Pick-up is anticipated to begin on June 6 and is expected to take several months to complete. Stay tuned to town channels for future information on timing. Please note that regular leaf and yard waste collection will continue and that the town will continue to remove debris from municipal trees impacted by this storm.
For the safety of residents and children, and the efficiency of collection efforts, please try to stack debris, branches and brush at your curb:
- In stacks no higher than 1 meter (3 feet) to ensure the maintenance of safe sight lines;
- Cut end facing out toward the road. If branches block the sidewalk, place them along your curb with the cut facing with the flow of traffic; and
- For larger logs: a maximum of 1 to 1.5 meters (3 to 4 feet) in length.
In the meantime, residents can dispose of debris caused by the storm at Durham Region’s Waste Management Facilities (WMFs), which are open from 8 am to 8 pm until Saturday, May 28. The WMFs will also accept any leaf and yard waste that is dropped off over the next two weeks (until June 6, unless otherwise extended). Additionally, the typical fee for Durham Region residents using the WMFs will be waived for leaf and yard waste to support the storm recovery. Learn more about WMFs at durham.ca/WMF.
Access to Power, Drinking Water and Showers: All town recreational facilities are open and available during regular business hours for those without power. Drinking water and showers are also available at the following facilities:
- Iroquois Park Sports Centre (500 Victoria Street)
- Civic Recreation Complex (555 Rossland Road East)
- Brooklin Community Centre and Library (8 Vipond Road, limited shower facilities)
Additional self-serve drinking water stations are available at the following fire halls until 7 pm daily:
- Fire Station No. 1 (6745 Baldwin St. North)
- Fire Station No. 3 (1501 Brock St. South)
- Fire Headquarters Station No. 5 (111 McKinney Drive)
These supports will continue until power resumes in all areas of the community.
Regional Health and Safety Information: In addition to the information shared above, the Regional Municipality of Durham has shared the following health-related information for residents affected by the recent storm.
Food Disposal: for residents whose refrigerators were impacted due to power outages, ensure that any food above 4 degrees Celsius is discarded. When in doubt, throw it out. More information is available on the Durham Region Health Department Food safety page and on the Government of Canada’s Food safety in an emergency page.
Flooding and Drinking Water: if the water in your well was affected by flooding, stop using the water from your home immediately. Test your well water first before using. Do not use the water, even if you have a disinfection system. Learn more on the Durham Region Health Department’s Flooding page.
Well Water: well water can become contaminated after extreme weather and flooding. Ensure your well water is safe during and after emergencies on the Government of Canada’s Be Well Aware page. Residents with private wells can get more information about well water maintenance and safety on the Durham Region Health Department’s Private wells page.
Please continue to check on your friends, family and neighbours who don’t have power at this time.
City of Oshawa
Road hazards: The city’s forestry crews continue to work to clear roads, sidewalks, driveways, parks and green spaces. The cleanup is anticipated to take several weeks.
Some city roads may be closed due to fallen power lines or partially closed due to fallen trees. Residents are reminded to stay away from downed power lines and to keep children and pets away from downed power lines and fallen trees. Community members are reminded to leave all traffic cones in place. To report trees down, streetlights out or debris blocking a roadway, contact Service Oshawa 905-436-3311.
Service Oshawa: Service Oshawa is experiencing a large volume of calls and longer wait times. Customer Service Representatives are available to customers by telephone and email during regular operating hours: Monday to Friday – 8 am to 6 pm and Saturday – 9 am to 1 pm. Service Oshawa can be reached at 905-436-3311, or email to service@oshawa.ca. In-person counters are open to the public at City Hall (50 Centre Street South) Monday to Friday – 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Storm debris disposal: To support residents in the safe disposal of debris caused by the storm, Durham Region’s Waste Management Facilities are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. as of Tuesday, May 24 until Saturday, May 28.
Waste Management Facilities will also accept any leaf and yard waste that is dropped off over the next two weeks (until June 6 unless otherwise extended). Additionally, the typical fee for Durham Region residents using the WMFs will be waived for leaf and yard waste to support the storm recovery.
The city advises the residentscan also take advantage of their curbside leaf and yard waste curbside collection on their scheduled collection date. As a result of the high volume of storm-related waste, cleanup is expected to continue for several weeks. Keep in mind that yard waste collection may be delayed due to increased volumes.
The city reminds community members of the following yard waste reminders:
- Use paper bags or clearly labeled, returnable open-top containers, no heavier than 20 kg (44 lbs); and,
- Secure brush/twigs in bundles no longer than 1.2 metres in length.
Learn more at www.oshawa.ca/waste.
Trail closures: The following trails are temporarily closed due to tree damage:
- Harmony Trail closed from Rossland Road to Hilcroft Street
- Oshawa Trail closed from Bloor Street to Erie Street
- Michael Starr Trail closed from Beatrice Street to Mary Street
Civic Dome: As a result of damage during the severe storm, the Civic Dome located at the Civic Recreation Complex is temporarily closed until further notice.
As a result of this closure, all permitted rentals and bookings for the indoor track, tennis courts and squash courts at the Civic Recreation Complex are cancelled until further notice. For questions about this closure or a cancelled rental or booking, please contact the Civic Recreation Complex at 905-436-5454. Updates about this closure will be available at www.Oshawa.ca/FacilityStatus.
Municipality of Clarington
Several roads remain closed, Diane Hamre Recreation Complex open for residents
Clarington crews and contractors continue to clear fallen trees following the severe storm on May 21 that left extensive damage across Clarington. Clean-up will take some time.
“We ask that residents please do not remove any cones or caution tape as they have been placed to protect the safety of the community,” said a statement.
Keep pets and children away from downed power lines and fallen trees.
Township of Scugog
Township crews worked through the weekend to clear debris and reopen roads where possible. Several roads remain closed due to trees in contact with hydro wires. Staff are working with hydro to clear these areas as quickly as possible, but it will take a couple more days to reopen all roads.
In addition to roads, some public parks, sidewalks, and trails have debris or downed trees and may be closed.
Township of Uxbridge
Residents in urban Uxbridge or hamlets are asked to neatly pile tree debris (regardless of size) curbside. Township staff and contractors will be chipping and removing the debris. Do not pile debris so that sidewalks or roadways are blocked. Do not attempt to clean up trees that are within 10 meters of a power line. Township staff and contractors will be chipping smaller debris and removing larger debris. Please be patient as this process will take some time.
Disposal of Waste: The Region of Durham is temporarily removing the limit on the number of garbage bags that can be placed out at the curb for collection. Do not leave storm debris out at the curb. Residents can also place spoiled food, storm debris or other waste (excluding trees or yard waste) in large bins that will be placed at the Arena (291 Brock St. W.) or the Seniors Centre (75 Marietta Dr.). These bins will be available at the Seniors Centre on Tuesday, May 24th at 12:30 pm, and at the Arena on Wednesday, May 25th at 10:30 am.
Durham Region Waste Management facilities will be open from 8am to 8pm as of Tuesday, May 24th until Saturday, May 28th to support residents in the safe disposal of debris caused by the storm.
Township of Brock
Conservation areas affected by storm closed until further notice
The weather system that swept through Southern Ontario on Saturday afternoon has resulted in significant tree damage in a number of conservation areas in the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority watershed.
As a result, we have closed the following conservation areas to the public effective immediately:
- Durham Region Forest – all tracts
- Pangman Springs (Kennedy Road entrance)
- Whitchurch
- Thornton Bales
We ask that people stay away from these locations until further notice. We are working diligently on repairs which include the use of heavy equipment and chain saws – it is important the public stay away for their own safety and to allow us to do this work, said a statement.
We know how important these natural areas are to residents and will do our best to get them open, but safety is our priority at this time. Updates will be provided on social media when they become available.
Hydro One
Crews have restored power to over 479,000 customers, and while they’re making progress, there’s still extensive repairs to make.
With over 1,400 broken poles and 1,000 km of lines down, bringing power back is a significant undertaking. Updates: http://ow.ly/pzrB50JgMpG
Elexicon Energy
The damage is severe and widespread. Restoration efforts are complex and require time, equipment and resources.
Crews have restored power to more than 57,000 customers, and while we’re making progress there is still extensive repairs to make. Our crews continue their power restoration efforts in Ajax, Pickering, Uxbridge and Whitby.
Oshawa Power
Overnight crews reconnected an additional 137 customers. Crews continue to repair damage in rural Oshawa and in individual problem areas to restore the approximately 120 remaining homes without power.