Cleanup expands to Barrie backyards in aftermath of historic ice storm

City crews in Barrie began a new phase of cleanup this week, turning to the hundreds of residential backyards affected by last month’s devastating ice storm.

“We’ve had over 300 calls just for trees down in backyards,” said Dave Friary, the City of Barrie’s Director of Operations. “Starting this week, we’re moving into rear properties — especially homes backing onto parks or forests — and that work is going to take a few weeks.”

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So far, the city’s storm response has involved dozens of crews working seven days a week to clear fallen trees, limbs, and debris from streets and sidewalks. While the roadways are now largely passable, the sheer volume of damage — and the scale of the area affected — continues to stretch resources.

“This is something new,” said Friary. “We’ve had tornadoes before, we’ve had ice storms — but nothing this widespread. Not across the whole city, and even beyond that, into Simcoe County.”

The storm downed power lines, blocked roads, and left large sections of the community without electricity or communication. In the immediate aftermath, emergency meetings were held and heavy equipment was deployed to push trees off roadways to allow emergency access.

Now, with street access mostly restored, crews — including 45 to 50 teams from both the city and contracted services — are using heavy-duty equipment to reach more complex areas like backyards, parks, and trails.

Friary says residents should be prepared for a long recovery.

“We’re asking for patience,” he said. “We haven’t even begun our scheduled cleanup yet. What we’ve done so far is one full pass through every street to make it safe. The next phase will include scheduled pickup days, and we’ll give people a week or two notice so they can have debris ready at the curb.”

Public trails remain closed for safety, with the city managing over 150 kilometres of affected green space. Meanwhile, some city programs, like Spring Into Clean, have been postponed.

And while questions are already coming in about replanting lost trees, Friary says that phase is still a year or two away.

“We’re looking at 2026 or 2027 for tree replacements,” he said. “We’re working on a plan for that, too — but for now, safety and cleanup have to come first.”

For residents still unsure where to turn, the city encourages contacting Service Barrie for updates or to report issues.

“Everyone’s been impacted in some way,” said Friary. “But we’ve got a solid plan, and we’re making progress every day. We’ll get there — it just takes time.”