Seasonal flooding is impacting regions in Ontario’s cottage country, as rising temperatures and heavy rainfall have led to numerous communities being placed under a flood watch, with one town declaring a state of emergency.
Minden Hills, a small township in Haliburton County, has been under a state of emergency since Tuesday. The flooding has invaded homes, closed roads, and necessitated the conversion of the local arena and community space into an evacuation center.
In an update on Friday, the town announced that the evacuation center would open at 7:00 p.m. and that the downtown pedestrian and vehicle bridges would close at the same time until further notice.
Parts of cottage country, including the Bracebridge-Minden-Parry Sound District, remain under a flood warning issued by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources on Thursday. This area encompasses sections of Muskoka and Haliburton.
The warning has identified three bodies of water as areas of particular concern: the Gull River in Minden, Ont., Moon River flowing into Georgian Bay from Lake Muskoka, and Lake Muskoka. The flood warning is expected to remain in effect until April 22.
There is a caution that water levels could potentially reach those observed in 2019, prompting a mobilization of reservists from the Canadian Armed Forces to assist affected communities across Ontario.
Bracebridge, located approximately 65 kilometers northwest of Minden, falls within the province’s warning zone. The town’s iconic Santa’s Village theme park has been affected by flooding.
Tatiana Sutherland, the park’s marketing manager, mentioned the challenges faced in protecting electrical equipment from water damage and described this year’s flooding as potentially the second worst the park has experienced recently. Despite ongoing cleanup efforts, rising water levels have hindered progress.
Rick Maloney, Mayor of Bracebridge, highlighted the changing conditions, emphasizing the unpredictability of the situation. He acknowledged a temporary respite in rainfall but warned of an impending surge of water moving from the north, expected to impact the area by Saturday.
While water levels have slightly risen along the Muskoka watershed and river, the escalation is not as severe as earlier in the week, with levels in other rivers decreasing. The next 24 hours will be crucial in determining the town’s response to the evolving situation.