Kawartha Lakes presses on with massive ice storm debris clean-up

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: More than a month after a powerful ice storm swept through Kawartha Lakes, on March 29th and 30th, the city is continuing its extensive storm debris clean-up effort, to help residents recover from the damage. The municipality launched two curbside programs, one for urban areas and one for rural properties, to assist with the removal of fallen tree limbs and brush left behind by the storm.

As of May 2nd, clean-up in many urban areas has already been completed, including Bethany, Cambray, Creswell, Downeyville, Janetville, Little Britain, Manilla, Oakwood, Pontypool, Reaboro, and Sonya. Crews are currently working through Bobcaygeon, Kirkfield, Lindsay, Lorneville, Woodville, and Omemee. Starting the week of May 5th, clean-up will move into Dunsford, Fenelon Falls, and Kinmount, as well as Norland, Coboconk, and Cameron. To be included in the program, eligible debris must have been placed curbside by April 21st. Urban clean-up is limited to properties within the settlement boundaries of the city’s towns, hamlets, and villages.

“We know how hard this storm hit many of our communities,” said Bryan Robinson, Director of Public Works. “Our teams are out daily and working as quickly and safely as possible, but the volume of debris and size of our municipality means this will take time.”

In rural areas outside those settlement boundaries, the program began on April 30th. The municipality has divided rural roads into four zones. Zone A, which includes the areas around Omemee, Reaboro, Bethany, Pontypool, and Janetville, is already underway. Zone B, covering roads near Dunsford, Downeyville, and Bobcaygeon, along with Zone C, which includes Cameron, Cambray, Oakwood, Little Britain, and Woodville, is scheduled to begin the week of May 12th. The start date for Zone D, which involves Kirkfield, Coboconk, Norland, and Kinmount, is still to be determined, but officials expect it will begin in June. Residents in Zones B, C, and D were asked to have their debris to the curb by May 4th to ensure inclusion, while those in Zone A had until April 30th. Only one pass will be made through each zone.

“We’ve never seen anything like this storm in years,” said Karen Mitchell, a resident near Woodville. “It took down an old pine [which] had stood for decades. I’m glad the city stepped in to help because there’s no way we could’ve handled it all ourselves.”

Both clean-up programs are strictly for storm-related brush and tree debris. Items such as bagged leaves, full hedges, root balls, and logs, larger than eight inches in diameter, are not eligible and will not be picked up. Crews also remind residents to place piles at least 1.5 metres back from the road for safety. Debris too close to the edge may be pushed back by heavy equipment, to allow for regular maintenance and safe traffic flow.

“This has been an all-hands-on-deck effort,” said Rob Dawson, a public works crew leader. “In some neighbourhoods, we’ve seen trees downed across multiple properties. We’re doing our best to get to everyone.”

The city has asked for patience as crews continue the clean-up. Due to the scale of the storm damage and the size of the municipality, the process is expected to take several more months to complete. All eligible properties will be reached, regardless of whether they fall under the urban or rural program.

For more information on what is eligible and to check progress updates, residents can visit the city’s Storm Updates page, at www.kawarthalakes.ca/StormUpdates.