Minden Hills, Ont. ends state of emergency, water levels stable – Peterborough

Minden Hills, Ont. has officially ended its state of emergency as Mayor Bob Carter says water levels have stabilized.

Parks Canada and the Ministry of Natural Resources data show water levels on the Gull River, which runs through Minden, are now manageable. Water levels peaked in mid-April causing flooding throughout the community.

The township enacted the state of emergency on April 14 in response to heavy rainfall and snow leading to higher water levels.

The municipality said it took action to prevent escalating impacts on the community and its infrastructure. Declaring a state of emergency also allowed the township to access provincial supports.

“When there’s this much water, there’s very little that can be done,” Mayor Carter told Global News when the state of emergency was put in place. “Obviously, we prepare by making sure that in the future, buildings are built in such a way that they wouldn’t have a basement, as an example. And there’s a few other things that we are looking at as we continue to develop the whole area. But again, you have to manage this, as opposed to prevent it.”

Spring flooding is not uncommon in the area. Floods in 2013 and 2019 caused significant damage to many homes in Minden.

This year, many downtown streets were flooded when water levels peaked and at least one road was closed. Residents were encouraged to sandbag their homes to prevent flooding.

Mayor Carter expressed his satisfaction with how the community responded, stating “when our community is faced with adversity, the best comes out in Minden Hills”.

“We come together, help one another with acts of care and kindness,” he added. “It is inspiring and I say a sincere thank you to everyone.”

Some rain is expected in the region throughout the week. The MNR says it will continue to monitor water levels over the next two weeks.

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