By Chad Ingram

Published May 10 2017

Minden Hills Reeve and HaliburtonCounty Warden Brent Devolin says he's hopeful the Gull River throughMinden may crest within the next day or so.

“Potentially within the next 24hours we could see this crested” said Devolin at press conferenceoutside the Minden Hills township office at noon on Wednesday May10. “We're still not out of the woods. I'm not as despondent as Imight have been 10 or 12 hours ago.”

Just off conference call with reps fromthe TSW and MRNF Devolin said that Twelve Mile Lake part of the TSWfeeder system north of Minden was expected to crest Wednesday.

“We may dodge the '13 levels and I'mrelatively optimistic” Devolin said referring to the water levelsof the devastating 2013 flood.
Water levels on the Gull Riverwere up another five centimetres overnight but there were sunnyskies in Minden on Wednesday.

In addition to numerous streets alreadyclosed in the village Devolin said the township would closeBobcaygeon Road in Minden's downtown at 6 p.m. Thursday evening inattempt to keep onlookers and their vehicles out of the village'score.

“There's a lot of curious andinterested people so there'll be some more definite trafficmanagement with OPP and others for the weekend” he said.

The Minden Food Bank is set up and theMinden Hills Community Centre providing meals for volunteers andthose affected by the flood. The Red Cross is also set up and anyonewishing to make a financial contribution to help those in need ofimmediate assistance can make that donation to the Red Cross.

“Contributions to the Red Cross willcome to our community” Devolin said.

The provincial government changedOntario's disaster relief assistance legislation last year. Newprogramming means the community will not have to do fundraising aswas required under the previous provincial program during the 2013flood.

MPP Laurie Scott has been beenpressuring the government to send a disaster assessment team toMinden as soon as possible.

“From the [municipal affairs]minister's point of view it has to crest” Devolin said regardinga visit from the assessment team.

Minden Hills remains in state ofemergency and a flood warning from the MNRF remains in effect.