By Megan Chase, Editor
RENFREW, ON. — The Ma-Te-Way Activity Centre in Renfrew on Saturday did not bring much new information. It is worth noting provincial reps were invited to attend but did not show up. More was discussed about the peak and it was confirmed we are around 26 inches above 2017’s flood levels.
According to Whitewater Region Fire Department’s Chief Jonathan Wilker, we are making history with the water rise in Muskrat Lake. Chief Wilker gave us a timeline of the flood, to-date:
- April 17, PEOC issues potential flood warning
- April 18, sand and bags are taken to the Westmeath Garage
- April 19 (Good Friday), sandbag site is manned by volunteer fire fighters filling sandbags
- April 20, sand delivered around the Township and a call was put out for volunteers
- April 21, volunteers from the public and fire fighters are sandbagging at Mineview Garage
- April 25 at 9:00 p.m., a State of Emergency was declared.
- April 28, Canadian Armed Forces arrive in Westmeath.
- April 29, Muskrat Lake is flooded.
- April 30, Hydro shuts down power.
- May 1, the Coast Guard arrives.
- May 8, the second rise of the Ottawa River.
The impacted area is 62 km long, which includes 650 residents, 170 homes, 150 cottages and approximately 100 of those have been evacuated. “The warning was issued on April 17 and we began sandbagging on April 18,” said Chief Wilker.
The Westmeath Garage has seen 300,000 sandbags filled to-date and fed 360 meals per day over last week alone. There are around 120 Canadian Armed Forces stationed in Westmeath and are being housed there as well.
