Flood waters highest he’s ever seen, Manitoulin mayor says

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One of the communities hit hardest by recent flooding is Mindemoya in Central Manitoulin, where officials have declared a state of emergency.

Residents affected by flooding include Adam Smith, who was busy checking sandbags April 15 in front of Jake’s Home Centre, his business in downtown Mindemoya, trying to prevent more flooding.

“Yesterday we had almost three feet of water in our basement,” Smith said.

“A couple of inches in our lower level where our beds and bedroom furniture are … A little bit of water running in our front door, so it’s certainly a bit of a mess.”

The hardware store is on the corner where water up the street is flowing downward. Central Manitoulin Mayor Richard Stephens said the flooding is due to a combination of melting snow, higher water levels on nearby Hare Creek and recent rain.

“We’ve got an overflow of water that had to go somewhere so it’s taken to our streets,” Stephens said, adding that he’s never seen flooding this severe in the area.

Knew they would need help

“No. Never in my time and I’ve been here in a building right on the main problem area for 35 years.”

Central Manitoulin has declared a state of emergency, which means it has access to extra provincial resources.

“(We) knew that we were going to need some kind of assistance,” the mayor said.

“We didn’t know how long it was going to last and how much bigger it was going to be, so we decided to call the emergency now and look for the ministry resources to help us out.

Stephens said the first thing the province provided was sand for sandbags, which arrived Wednesday along with volunteers to help fill them.

‘We’re all just doing the best we can’

Smith said he’s grateful for local residents who came Tuesday to help set up sandbags around his business.

“We’re all just doing the best we can and I think everyone has to try and see a little bit of the positive,” he said.

“Right now, there’s not much else you can do other than try and help and do what you can.”

Stephens said he’s not sure when the state of emergency will be lifted. To make matters worse, the flooding has compromised the water distribution system in Mindemoya and now the town is under a water advisory.