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Peterborough declared
disaster area by Province At the meeting, council requested the Province declare the city a disaster area to qualify for more relief funding. A moment later, Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen, who was at the meeting, made the official declaration. The Province has already committed $5 million to relief, with more to come. Business has been hard hit by the flood from 200 millimetres of rain that fell on the city in a torrent July 15. Walter Johnstone, head of the Downtown Business Improvement Agency (DBIA), says the Province’s quick response to the disaster was "refreshing," after the delay the city experienced in the less-damaging flood of 2002. "(Premier Dalton) McGuinty’s words about this aid just being a down payment was also important. It shows he’s leaving the door open to realistic help," says Johnstone. "They didn’t put a lot of conditions on getting the money. The bureaucracy was stripped away on this," he says. At the recent council meeting, the heads of city departments then updated council members on the aftermath of the flood. * Social services lost the ground floor of the office building and several day care centres suffered flooding, director Pat Knapp said. The Evinrude Centre hosted 3,000 people as an evacuation centre, with the centre now moved to Trent University where 22 people who are unable to return to their homes are staying. Knapp thanked the countless volunteers who helped out. * The city fire department, bolstered by firefighters from neighbouring townships and elsewhere answered 2,000 calls in two days, said fire chief Lee Grant. There were 1,868 properties where water was pumped because of flooding and 1,128 shutoffs of gas, 196 rescues and 2,000 volunteer hours, he said. * The main public library was hardest hit, losing some 1,700 books when flood waters swept into the basement. The Peterborough Arts Umbrella and Artspace, both in basement offices, were wiped out. * The cleanup of damaged goods piled high on residential streets throughout Peterborough is being accelerated, with 30 trucks on the road 24 hours a day until the job is completed, city engineer Gerry Rye reported. Assessment of extensive damage to roads, sidewalks and bridges continues to be assessed, he said.
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