By Emily Stonehouse

That was as of the township council’s April 24 public meeting.

Township council had its first meeting since a state of emergency was declared to deal with the aftermath from the accumulation of winter ice that brought communication and power disruptions in March.

The township has now surpassed 30 days since the declaration.

Making such a declaration enables municipalities to avail of certain provincial services and equipment to get through the emergency.

Carter said Minden Hills had access to broader emergency medical services from neighbouring counties and municipalities.

“And that goes on to many other types of services,” Carter said.

It also allows the township to apply for funding when the emergency has passed.

“If we had any extraordinary expenses that were related to the disaster or emergency, we have the ability to claim from the provincial government to claim some monies,” he said.

And it provides residents an avenue to possibly obtain funding for damage expenses their insurance policy holders won’t pay.

“There are a number of programs that are made available to us and the community,” he said.

Some nearby communities have been able to lift their state of emergency designation. Minden Hills has not because of concerns about how the weather event’s snow and ice will contribute to the seasonal flooding this time of the year.

“This has been an unusual spring in many ways,” Carter said. “Water levels are extremely high.”

Municipal staff had worked for about a month before the storm with the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources and federal Parks Canada in anticipation of possible flooding.

And then the storm happened and as many as 200 properties remain without electricity.

Parks Canada has said it could be about three weeks before water levels are in the seasonal normal range.

Water levels on the Burnt River have peaked and already dropped. The biggest concern is with the Gull River that runs through downtown Minden, he said. The amount of water going down the Gull River is twice what it usually is this time of the year.

“The lakes above Minden are, for all intents and purposes, full,” he said. “There’s a certain amount of water that can flow down through the Gull River and it really comes down to how much rain you’re getting.

“Unfortunately, we’ve found out that no matter who we try to influence, we can’t change Mother Nature.”

Complicating the issue is that trees and branches downed by the weight of ice is debris that can block ditches and culverts.

“If our culverts become filled, then the water goes over the top of the road,” he said. “The roads are already saturated so it takes virtually no time at all for the road to potentially wash out.”

Municipal Public Works staff have been busy inspecting culverts, he said, but there are many more of them than a person might notice or expect are out there.

Water is moving very fast and virtually every riverbank has been softened by rain and spring melt.

“Stay away from those waters,” Carter said. “They’re not your friend right now and things can change pretty rapidly. Extreme caution is required.”

In a press release shared on April 29, Carter once again explained the reasoning for the continuation of the emergency status. He referenced the environment as currently “fragile” and noted that the township is diligently monitoring changes in weather patterns.

“The weather forecast includes high winds and thunderstorms early this week and, significant precipitation later in the week,” he said. “Therefore, we need to be especially vigilant to react to any consequences due to the weather and to be prepared for anything.”