Gazette readership area feels the wrath of Mother Nature on Canada Day

Township of Wilmot Councillor Lillianne Dunstall caught the image on the right of the storm rolling in over Norm Hill Park in New Hamburg, cutting the annual Canada Day festivities short. Photo courtesy of the What's Up Wilmot Facebook page

By Lee Griffi

Canada Day thunderstorms left moderate damage and power outages scattered across the region.

Wilmot Township

“Damage from Wednesday’s storm includes large tree limbs on roads, in parks and along trails throughout the township. Staff continue to inspect affected areas and remove debris to help ensure public safety,” said a statement from the township.

It added that residents who see downed trees on roads, boulevards, in parks, or along trails are encouraged to report them by emailing publicworks@wilmot.ca.

“Cleanup efforts are expected to be completed by the middle of (this) week. We thank residents for their patience and understanding as staff continue this work.”

East Zorra-Tavistock

“Overall, we didn’t see a lot of damage on municipal roadways from the storms on Canada Day. We had a few larger branches that had to be cleared from the roadways with our loader,” said Tom Lightfoot, the township’s director of infrastructure and community services.

“Two locations had trees that were in contact with the hydro lines, so we had to barricade those areas until Hydro One could take the trees off the hydro lines. One location was cleared Thursday afternoon, and the other was cleared yesterday morning. Public works staff was out Thursday morning patrolling the roads and clearing any smaller debris,” he added.

Perth East

“We had multiple trees down over multiple days last week, creating hydro disruptions and road closures,” said roads supervisor Justin Taylor.

Craigowan Golf and Country Club

The golf course on Highway 59 at Huntingford lost power following a powerful Canada Day storm, and as a result, thousands of dollars of food was lost. The operation was closed for approximately 18 hours and opened on Friday with a limited menu.