Grimsby town email disrupted by Microsoft 365 outage; residents asked to phone town hall

The Town of Grimsby is warning residents that email service has become unreliable because of a widespread Microsoft outage, and it is asking people who need to reach the municipality to pick up the phone or visit town hall instead.

In a service notice posted to its website, the town said it is "aware of a widespread Microsoft service disruption causing intermittent email disruptions for users globally." The town does not control the problem and is waiting on Microsoft to fix it.

Microsoft has confirmed the outage is affecting a range of Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange Online and email functionality, the Town of Grimsby said in a service notice. That means residents who email municipal staff may find their messages are not going through — or that replies from the town never arrive.

The disruption is not limited to Grimsby. Because the problem sits with Microsoft's global infrastructure, users of the affected services everywhere have been dealing with the same intermittent failures.

For Grimsby residents, the practical effect is simple: any email sent to a town address may fail silently for now, and the town cannot guarantee responses by email until Microsoft resolves the issue.

How to reach the town

Residents who need to contact the municipality are being encouraged to call 905-945-9634 or visit Grimsby Town Hall, located at 160 Livingston Avenue, during regular business hours — Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The town is asking for patience while the outage continues, and says it appreciates residents' understanding while Microsoft works toward a resolution.

For the latest information on the disruption, the town is directing residents to follow updates from Microsoft or reputable news outlets.

Anyone with an urgent matter — such as a permit question, a water bill or a bylaw issue — should not rely on email until service is restored, the notice implies, since messages sent during the outage may be delayed or lost.

There is no word yet on when full email service will be back to normal. The town says it will continue to monitor the disruption, and residents can subscribe to Grimsby's news alerts for updates on municipal activities, events, programs and operations.