It’s been a rough couple of days in Ward 7 and there are those who are still without power. I hope you managed well and were able to stay warm and fed. Hydro One has issued a new warning that with a wind storm moving east from Southern Ontario, we can expect to see additional damages and outages. As I drive through Ward 7, I see lots of tree damage, with some trees ripped right out of the ground. It is a sad sight to see and I’m sure it’s affecting all of you. We were very lucky at my place with all the major damage happening to trees away from the house, still there has been a lot of clean-up and there is much to be done. It looks like there are many near misses with trees coming down close to people’s homes. If you have any pictures or stories, please send them in and I can post them. If you decide to claim for insurance, make sure that you record the damage with photos.
I spent much of Saturday at Tecumseth Pines checking in on the Seniors there to make sure everyone was safe and well taken care of. They have a good emergency plan system in place and a caring community of people who were checking in on one another. Even so, it was a rough couple of days for them as their power didn’t come back until Saturday evening and many homes are heated solely with electricity and they had no running water.
Generally, the rural resident of New Tecumseth seems prepared for an emergency with secondary heat, back-up power and a stocked pantry. The community came together to support one another which was reassuring and wonderful to see.
Throughout the storm, I was kept up-to-date by the Deputy CAO of the Town of New Tecumseth, Blaine Parkin on the road crews clearing trees, making the roads safe for residents and emergency response units. I met with the Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Sweeney during the storm and witnessed first hand the dedication and effort of the New Tecumseth Emergency Response staff and volunteers. I’d like to thank our Public Works and Emergency Response crews for their tremendous effort. Our staff are doing a fantastic job of clearing the roads, keeping the water and wastewater systems operating, communicating the status of roads and services and working to bring services back to residents.
Simcoe County brush collection begins next week, so you can bring your brush to the curb for pick-up. I am looking into finding out whether it needs to be cut and bundled as usual or if they will make an exception because of the situation. I know that throughout the emergency response, staff have been taking note of what was working and not working. I have already given the feedback that when people called Hydro, they got various time estimates of when power would be restored and responses were not easy to attain.
Please contact the town at any time to report trees on roadways. Please use caution around rivers, streams, culverts and bridges as there may be dangerous flow conditions due to the rainfall. As always, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Stay safe.
Remember to please contact me (cell: 905-936-9642) should you have any questions or concerns.