Ice Storm Recovery Efforts in Peterborough, Ontario

Cleanup efforts are still underway after the ice storm that hit central Ontario last week.

This storm left hundreds of thousands without power and many people trapped at home due to downed trees and power lines.

The freezing rain ended last Sunday, which is when Sydney Gerzymisch and her fellow “greyshirts” from Team Rubicon, a humanitarian aid group, sprang into action in Peterborough, Ont.

“We like to look for the unmet needs of the community that we’re in,” she told CBC Toronto. “So we talked to them, we asked about their unmet needs, about the hydro situation. We talked about the trees down. And then we did a lot of driving around and just looking at the damage.”

Environment Canada issued freezing rain warnings across the area on Friday, March 28 and they weren’t lifted until around 11:30 a. m. on Sunday, March 30. Peterborough was heavily affected with ice accumulation reaching 20 millimeters – prompting its mayor to declare a state of emergency.

This was when Team Rubicon stepped in to help.

Sydney Gerzymisch is one of the volunteers from Team Rubicon that has been helping clear fallen trees with chainsaws in Peterborough this week. (Submitted by Sydney Gerzymisch)

The veteran-led organization assists communities during disasters and their recovery process. The group relies on volunteers known as “greyshirts,” named for their grey t-shirts worn as uniforms.

Many of these volunteers are veterans whose skills are crucial during emergencies like this ice storm, Gerzymisch explained.

“[They’re] ex-first responders, people who have very specialized skill sets,” she said. “And when they leave that part of their life, they’re left kind of in limbo. Like what do you do with all this knowledge and all this experience that you have? It’s not really something you can often apply to just your everyday civilian life.”

For dealing with the ice storm aftermath, it means volunteers with relevant training can take charge to better manage cleanup efforts outside what’s being done officially by local authorities.

Veterans bring specialized skills in times of crisis

“We capitalize on all of that training and all those skills and all that experience that already exists in those folks,” Tim Kenney, Team Rubicon’s vice president of programs and field operations and a former infantry officer in the Canadian military, told CBC Toronto.

“We begin to leverage it to fill the gaps,” he said.

In this situation, it involved sending chainsaw operators like Gerzymisch out to clear trees from yards and driveways – places not typically handled by municipal services or covered by insurance.

This kind of assistance makes a significant impact for those most affected, Gerzymisch noted.

“They haven’t been forgotten about. That’s really important to people … that someone is out there thinking about them and that they don’t have to do [the work themselves] because a lot of these trees are really dangerous,” she said.

WATCH | Some still without power after storm:

Some Ontario residents remain without power as ice storm cleanup continues

Power outages persist in certain regions throughout Ontario hardest hit by last weekend’s ice storm. As CBC’s Dale Manucdoc reports, restoration efforts will carry on into later parts of the week while areas prepare for more freezing rain expected Wednesday.

Gerzymisch has taken part in various prior Team Rubicon missions elsewhere but this one hits close to home literally. She grew up nearby and many family members were impacted by the storm.

“You don’t expect for disaster to strike in your own home,” she said. “It’s very fulfilling for me to be able to help out and provide my local knowledge to all the other greyshirts here because I’m the only one really from the area.”

Acts of kindness along with community spirit have been evident throughout recovery efforts according to Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal who spoke with CBC Toronto

Cleanup is a community effort according mayor

“Neighbours helping neighbours. Team Rubicon [is] going into neighbourhoods where there is a high population of seniors helping them clean up their yards from branches and other debris while also assisting low-income individuals who might struggle affording private sector cleanup,” he mentioned. “It’s all hands on deck.”

The mayor stated that city resources will continue aiding residents through cleanup efforts.

He expressed hope regarding ongoing camaraderie within communities as Peterborough along with surrounding areas recover post-storm.

Premier Doug Ford commented on Thursday about cleanup from the storm acknowledging frontline workers including Team Rubicon volunteers.

He called for an improved communication system aimed at handling emergencies better moving forward.

“We have to come up with a new mechanism communicate because it’s very difficult communicate when people don’t have ability watch television,” Ford stated.”We need find something related cell phones since.. their number one concern out there is communication.”

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