By John Francis
As I write this, bush fires are sweeping through vast swaths of Australia. Here on the Bruce Peninsula, our problems are at the opposite end of the scale: the water level in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay appears to be at a record high for January. (Lots of online information available at waterlevels.gc.ca). High water dramatically increases the potential for storm damage to shoreline properties and infrastructure.
We’ve had a couple of tastes of what is possible: an autumn storm seriously damaged Lion’s Head lighthouse on October 31; a winter storm destroyed it completely on January 12. It should be noted that neither of these storms was particularly extreme, but with the water this high, even a routine storm can cause serious damage.
How the rest of the winter will unfold depends on several variables. If the lakes freeze over, water levels may not drop much, but the ice will offer protection from waves and spray along the shore. If the lakes remain open, a cold front with high winds could cause enormous damage, with waves crashing on shore and the wind carrying the spray inland to coat trees and buildings in a thick layer of ice. The water levels usually drop if the lakes stay open but this year they haven’t dropped at all and we got another 20mm of rain on Jan 11.
At its November 12 Meeting, Northern Bruce Peninsula Council discussed plans to do emergency repairs to Lion’s Head lighthouse, hoping this would be enough to get it through the winter. They intended to select and prepare a more protected location and move the lighthouse there in spring.
That discussion led to a broader consideration of the municipality’s ability to handle climate change events such as storms and rising/fluctuating water levels. Councillor Megan Myles asked if the Lion’s Head marina infrastructure could withstand another foot of water. CAO Bill Jones replied that another foot of water would cause so much damage in the municipality that the marina would be a minor concern by comparison. Councillor Myles persisted, saying she would rather have a plan than an emergency response. What would such a plan entail, she asked. CAO Jones said that the municipality would have to retain various experts and the costs could be considerable. Councillor Smokey Golden agreed with Councillor Myles that it would be worthwhile to know what those costs might be; might even be worthwhile to invest in such a plan.
The destruction of Lion’s Head lighthouse underlines the importance of emergency planning. It would be good to know how many buildings and other bits of infrastructure are vulnerable.
Damage could come in a variety of forms. Simple wave damage took out the lighthouse. If water levels come up another foot, wave damage could do a slew of damage around the harbours at Tobermory, Lion’s Head, Stokes Bay and Pike Bay, just to name a few. Flooding could also take out quite a few roads; the Stokes Bay/Pike Bay area is particularly vulnerable.
Then there’s ice-push. If a lot of ice forms on Lake Huron, and if we get a powerful west or northwest blow in late March or early April, those big chunks of ice could get pushed a long way inland. Docks, boathouses, driveways, houses, roads — none of them would be safe.
It’s probably worth investing a bit of effort into flood planning. It took only seven years to go from the lowest January water level ever in 2013 to the highest ever January water level. Wild fluctuations would seem to be the new normal.
But I hasten to point out that although we don’t (yet) have a plan for record high water levels, the municipality has not been shirking its emergency planning responsibilities.
Northern Bruce Peninsula has a comprehensive set of emergency plans. Deputy Clerk Cathy Addison has been working on them for years and keeps them up to date.
There are annual exercises to test emergency response equipment, personnel and strategies. They’ve had exercises featuring a simulated bus crash, a simulated forest fire, a simulated gas leak at the arena and several more. I suspect flooding is going to get more attention in coming years.
Forest fire? There’s a plan for that. Actually, there are a number of plans, depending on where the fire is and what direction it’s spreading. Evacuations, firefighting, coordination with Parks Canada and provincial emergency responders.
Flu pandemic? There are plans for that, too. Very detailed ones.
Long-term hydro loss? There’s a comprehensive plan, including everything from knowing which residents are vulnerable and how to contact them to staffing and stocking warming centres.
Highway blocked so you can’t get in or out? There’s a plan. The airport at Tobermory becomes the community’s lifeline.
One of the important elements for most of the emergency plans is having generators at key public buildings. The municipality recently invested in a new generator at the Community Centre in Tobermory, one that allows the building to function fully — heat, light, bathrooms, kitchen — even without hydro.
One of the hoped-for features of an upgrade at Lion’s Head Arena/Community Centre is an upgrade to the generator system so that the building can function fully without hydro. Municipal staff and Councillors will be lobbying hard for provincial funding at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association meetings later this month. Cross your fingers.
