A state of emergency has been declared in both the townships of Calvin and Bonfield, after Saturday night’s severe storm resulted in roads being closed due to washouts, along with downed power lines and trees.
Emergency services from across the region have been deployed to help those in need, with an Evacuation Centre set up at the Mike Rodden Arena in Mattawa.
Calvin Township Mayor Richard Gould is asking people to avoid non-essential travel.
“The fire department, our emergency response people are all actively involved in helping people,” he says. “If somebody was driving around the roads and happened to run off the road there would be no one to give them emergency assistance.”
Speaking via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Gould says cell service is down in much of the area but has been restored at the arena in Mattawa.
He says people brought there by bus from Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park are able to call loved ones, with food and shelter being provided at the arena.
The OPP says the evacuation of Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park has been completed and there no new injuries being reported. Members are now undertaking search efforts in Kiosk Provincial Park.
Officials are asking residents in the affected areas to stay in their homes while roads and property cleanup continues.
Meantime, the North Bay Regional Health Centre has cleared the Code Orange ‘Alert’ with the hospital returning to regular operations.
With Saturday night’s storm, Gould says there were two types of damage. The first was the wind storm.
“That might have been a microburst, a tornado or just high winds I’m not sure,” Gould says. “But it took down a lot of trees in Samuel de Champlain Park and in a swath leading through the township.”
He says the second was the rain, noting his rain gauge collected 70 mm or rain in three hours Saturday night.
“The rain was extremely heavy and what it did was wash out culverts. It would washout parts of roads. It would flood sections of roads.
Highway 17 is closed between Corbeil and Mattawa (Old Hwy 17), along with Highway 630 to Kiosk, with a major washout impacting that roadway.
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Update (12 noon)
The Township of Bonfield remains under a state of emergency.
Officials say crews have been out since Saturday night, with many roads to repair and several homes with no driveways.
“We have limited resources,” states an update on social media. “Please be patient and know we are working hard to resolve the highest impacted areas. Roads with only one lane open are temporarily repaired, please only use if it’s necessary.”
Officials say they continue to receive reports of new road damage since their last patrol.
They say to report damages, call 705-776-2659, a message will be logged and staff will respond as time and priority permits.
The township says some parts of the community are still without hydro, and ask residents to check on any vulnerable neighbours.
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Update (11am)
The Municipality of Calvin has declared a State of Emergency due to Saturday’s severe storm.
Officials say all roads in the municipality are closed due to wash outs, downed power lines and trees, with Hwy 17 closed from Corbeil to Mattawa.
“A Shelter in Place has been declared,” states a release. “Please remain in your homes while emergency services clean up the roads. We can not stress this enough, you need to stay in your homes. There are limited emergency services available to help, until evacuations are complete. Public works have been working since last night and are aware of all of the road issues.”
The township says Samuel de Champlain park has been hardest hit, with people continuing to be evacuated by bus and other transportation.
They add the Evacuation Centre will be at the Mike Rodden Arena at 450 Hurdman St., Mattawa, with the Red Cross on scene to receive the evacuees.
Officials say evacuees will be able to call out once they are situated, although they add mobile and landline service is non existent in some locations throughout the area.
Calvin, Mattawa and North Bay Fire departments have been on scene at Samuel De Champlain since Saturday night, according to the township, with Bonfield, East Ferris and West Nipissing recently arriving too.
“OPP, EMS, Park services have also been on scene,” reads the release, adding the Town of Mattawa’s Emergency Control Group has also been working closely with them.
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Update (9am)
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is advising the public that Highway 17 remains closed between Bonfield and Mattawa due to hazardous road conditions caused by severe weather and downed trees.
Police say the Mattawa Arena remains open as a shelter for anyone in need of a safe place to stay.
“On Saturday, June 21, 2025, at approximately 9:45 p.m., reports of dangerous conditions were received from several areas, including Champlain Park,” states a release. “The closure remains in effect as emergency crews are actively working in the area to assess damage, clear debris, and assist those affected.”
The OPP says coats, blankets, water and batteries were made available to individuals affected by the closure at Champlain Park.
Police ask those currently delayed due to road closures or sheltering in place, to remain patient and stay where you are if it is safe to do so.
They add emergency responders are working as quickly and safely as possible to reopen routes and provide assistance, adding that entering restricted areas may delay emergency efforts and put people at risk.
The OPP says in a related incident, two individuals camping in the northeastern part of Algonquin Park were impacted by the storm when a tree fell, resulting in serious injuries to one person. They say the injured person was transported out of the park by a Ministry of Natural Resources float plane and is being taken to hospital for treatment.
“Additional resources, including Emergency Response Teams (ERT), Canine units, fire services, and military support from Petawawa, have been deployed to assist with the response,” state the OPP. “The Ministry of Natural Resources has also been contacted for support.”
Hydro One crews continue assessing damages with more than 1,300 customers without power from Bonfield to Mattawa.
Another 70 are without power from the Nipissing area to Callander and Powassan, with about 400 impacted from Redbridge to Thorne.
Updates can be found on the Hydro One online outage map.
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Hydro One crews are assessing damages after Saturday nights storm rolled through the area.
Upwards of 1,300 customers between Bonfield and Mattawa were without power as of 4:30 am.
There is no estimate for when the power may be back on, as yet. Updates can be found on the Hydro One online outage map.
Ontario Provincial Police closed Highway 17 East between Bonfield and Mattawa around 10:30 pm Saturday, due to unsafe conditions, including downed trees, caused by severe weather.
An update on social media at 4 am stated the roadway is still closed.
The OPP is asking people to continue to avoid the area while OPP officers and emergency services are on scene.
Police add Mattawa’s Mike Rodden Arena is open for those in need of shelter.
