Gravenhurst turns tide on dig out 2 weeks after state of emergency declaration

The Town of Gravenhurst remains in recovery mode after record snowfalls this month, but there is reason to be optimistic.

After 140 centimetres of snow fell two weeks ago and additional 30 to 40 centimetres fell this week, hours of round the clock work has led the Muskoka town to make major inroads in clearing its roadways.

"I would say it was a tipping point for us last night," said Andrew Stacey the Director of Infrastructure with the Town of Gravenhurst. "We made a lot of headway in our urban centre and we're going to continue through that through this weekend."

Some roadways have been cleared in parts of the town, despite challenges with residents dumping snow onto the roads. The Town has asked its residents to avoid doing so, calling it " illegal and dangerous," according to its emergency updates on its website.

"The state of emergency continues to ensure the town has the appropriate resources to deal with the cleanup, but the focus now is on recovery and a return to overall normal operations," stated the Town in its latest update on Friday. "A key reason for remaining in the state of emergency is the town can access provincial financial assistance for cleanup costs as we continue to require outside resources in our recovery."

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On Dec. 1, Gravenhurst declared a state of emergency.

Snow removal resources from Peel Region, Simcoe County and Vaughan were assisting with the snow removal as late as Thursday, but Stacey said those municipal workers returned home on Friday.

Going into the weekend, only the Town of Gravenhurst workers and third-party contractors remain.

"We have brought in third-party resources to help with the snow lift. That is going to continue on a 24/7 basis until Monday," Stacey said. "We will get an opportunity to reevaluate where we're at and consider the next steps from there."

A snow squall warning remains in effect for Gravenhurst and parts of Muskoka, according to Environment Canada, but squalls are set to weaken Friday evening.

In addition to a state of emergency, the Town has declared a significant weather event.

Stacey said that declaration would remain in effect for at least another week.

There is no timetable for when the state of emergency will be lifted.