The province is stepping in to help residents of flood-ravaged Minden.
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Bill Mauro toured the village on Friday, announcing that the community qualified for help under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program.
“We are happy that the province will be able to provide some assistance. We want to help people as much as we can, but at the same time I need to ensure that people understand this is not a replacement for insurance,” says Mauro.
For the first time in days, flood waters have stopped rising. So far, more than 100 homes have been voluntarily evacuated.
City, Hydro One and volunteer crews have filled more than 70,000 sandbags. They now protect homes and business throughout the township.
Several bodies of water to the north of the township have crested, which is good news for residents.
The bad news is that rain is in the forecast and if it downpours, it could have a big impact on flood levels.
“If we get a down pour, they say showers won’t hurt too much, but if we get a downpour we could get more water,” says Keith Robinson.
Donations have poured into the local community center and the food bank. The Red Cross is also here to help, but the people who have been flooded know they still have a long way to go before the crisis is over
“After a crest, we still have two weeks of high water to deal with,” says John Gibb, Minden resident.
This is the second major flood here in just four years.
