Take Care Around Local Waterways During Spring

Conservation Authorities are reminding residents of the dangers which exist near streams, rivers, ponds and lakes during spring and urge people to keep family and pets away from the edge of all waterways.

With spring and warmer temperatures quickly approaching, we’re all looking forward to getting outdoors. However, warmer temperatures also bring rainfall, melting snow and ice, which can all contribute to higher, faster flowing water in our waterways. Slippery and unstable stream banks and extremely cold water temperatures can also lead to very hazardous conditions close to any body of water.

Conservation Halton has11 gauge stations which are monitored frequently by staff which include such parameters as: water levels, precipitation, water and air temperature measurements from our creeks and reservoirs in Halton. These measurements help staff assess watershed conditions for potential flooding, and issue statements, watches and warnings to the public.

Flood Control staff also visually monitor the process of ice breakup in the creeks and identify potential flooding problems due to ice jamming in the winter/spring season.

Conservation Halton’s four reservoirs are at or near winter holding levels in anticipation of the spring runoff, and have 100 per cent available storage.

For more information on Conservation Halton’s Water Control and Flood Warning Program, visit our website, http://www.conservationhalton.ca/natural-hazards or call (905) 336-1158.

About Conservation Halton’s Water Control and Flood Warning Program

Conservation Halton provides a water control and flood warning program to reduce the risk of property damage and loss of life due to flooding.

When flooding is possible or about to occur, Conservation Halton issues flood messages to municipal emergency management officials, school boards, police and EMS as well as the media. The municipal officials then take action to warn local residents.

Conservation Halton is responsible for the maintenance and operation of four major dams (Kelso, Hilton Falls, Scotch Block and Mountsberg dams) and 12.5 kilometers of flood control channels (Sixteen Mile Creek through Milton, Morrison-Wedgewood diversion in Oakville and the Rambo-Hager diversion in Burlington).

Are you prepared?

This week in Canada is Emergency Preparedness Week, a time to think about getting prepared for something we hope never happens. The time you take to get prepared will be invaluable should you and your family experience a major disaster, be it weather-related or other causes.

Kelso Reservoir

There have been severe weather events in our community in recent years, but generally the effects are localized and fairly short-term. But you don’t have to go very far back, or very far away, to see the impacts of severe weather, the flooding in Muskoka in April is just one recent example. This week, while we are being reminded to get prepared, they are on alert for flooding and forest fires in other parts of Canada.

Many people in the watershed become familiar with Conservation Halton through our recreation and education programs. They have gone hiking or camping at a conservation area, or perhaps their children have taken a field trip to Crawford Lake or a maple syrup program.

Perhaps not as well known is that Conservation Halton provides a water control and flood warning program to reduce the risk of property damage and loss of life due to flooding. These flood messages help safeguard the public from risk around creeks and streams that can be filled with dangerous, fast-moving water during heavy storms.

Conservation Halton is responsible for the maintenance and operation of four major dams (Kelso, Hilton Falls, Scotch Block and Mountsberg dams) and 12.5 kilometers of flood control channels (Sixteen Mile Creek through Milton, Morrison-Wedgewood diversion in Oakville and the Rambo-Hager diversion in Burlington).

When flooding is possible or about to occur, Conservation Halton issues flood messages to municipal emergency management officials, school boards, police and EMS as well as the media. The municipal officials then take action to warn local residents.

You can learn more about Conservation Halton’s Water Control and Flood Warning Program by clicking below or watching the Conservation Halton Minute video:

• Conservation Halton’s webpage on Flood Protection, Low Water and Water Control

The month of May marks Emergency Preparedness Week. This annual designation provides a time to highlight the role that your local government plays in emergency management including public education, preparedness, planning, practice and partnerships. In the event of an emergency, responders are on the scene dealing with the impact of the event. For this reason, it is important for everyone to consider the actions they can take now to mitigate the impact on themselves and their loved ones and be prepared to assume responsibility for their own care and well-being for the first 72 hours.

The Government of Canada website, http://www.getprepared.ca, includes information, tips, links, checklists, videos and more to help you get prepared. Conservation Halton’s Watershed municipal partners also have some helpful emergency preparedness information:

• Halton Region
• Peel Region
• City of Hamilton

Around the Parks: Glen Eden Ski Patrol

By Dave Beynon, Visitor Safety and Patrol Supervisor

Have you ever seen an accident and wished you knew how to help? Have you wanted to be the person who makes a difficult situation better? Well, we like to think you can! The Glen Eden Ski Patrol is all about helping others when they need it the most. So, what does it take to be a patroller at Glen Eden?

To wear that distinctive red jacket with the white cross on the back, patrollers must first take an intensive 60-hour course in Outdoor Emergency Care. Each year thereafter, they must re-certify and refresh their skills including CPR and AED. This prepares them for whatever emergencies they may encounter, whether at Glen Eden or just driving to work.

Responding to emergencies is just part of the patroller’s life at Glen Eden. Our dedicated volunteers are there for the love of the sport and to ensure our guests have a safe and enjoyable experience. Interacting with guests is a rewarding aspect of being a patroller. Patrollers are experts at leading by example. Things like wearing a properly fitted helmet and keeping equipment in top working order are perfect examples of safe practices patrollers promote everyday.

The daily routine of a patroller includes monitoring the slopes for hazards. Before the slopes are open in the morning, they are checked by a patroller. But it does not end there. Changing weather and surface conditions can affect the safety of our guests. Patrollers are responsible for monitoring and reacting to changing conditions. At the end of the day a patrol final sweep ensures that everyone is safely off the hill. It’s not all work for patrollers. They form a unique bond right from the start of training in early October. This bond is by far the most rewarding part of being a Glen Eden Ski Patroller. The skills learned are carried with us every day when we are not in uniform on the hill.

Our patrollers come from all walks of life. They are parents, students, healthcare providers, industrial workers and people from the business world, but the common thread is the love of the sport and the desire to help people. If you would like more information about the Glen Eden Ski Patrol, or would like to be part of this team, please contact Dave Beynon, Visitor Safety and Patrol Supervisor at Glen Eden by e-mail dbeynon [at] hrca.on.ca or call 905-878-5011, ext. 280.