Mayor calls special council meeting to address storm

January 3, 2014 · 0 Comments

Mayor Marolyn Morrison announced Friday that a special meeting of council will be held this coming Tuesday (Jan. 7) at 2 p.m. to address the Town’s ongoing efforts in response to the ice storm, and how the Town moves forward after the initial emergency response.
“Caledon was one of the hardest hit municipalities in Ontario,” she said. “The ice storm devastated large areas of our community, and we as council want to ensure everything is being done to help our residents. I would like to acknowledge the continued phenomenal efforts of our staff in response to this unprecedented storm.”
The meeting follows a Dec. 30 teleconference with Morrison, the Mayors of Brampton and Mississauga, Peel Regional Chair Emil Kolb and Town CAO Doug Barnes, in which the participants reviewed the impacts of the storm on the Region and discussed a coordinated response.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, Morrison plans to be at next Thursday’s (Jan. 9) Regional council meeting and bring forward recommendations on behalf of the Town.
The Town’s response to the storm included the establishment of an Emergency Operations Centre at Town Hall to coordinate departments, gather and disseminate information and liaise with other agencies; warming centres were established at Town Hall, at various Parks and Recreation facilities and subsequently at the Bolton Fire Station; the Public Works Department cleared major roadways of fallen trees and debris, and work is ongoing to clear Town-owned property; Caledon Fire and Emergency Services responded to more than 240 calls (compared to a normal call volume of 70 for a similar timeframe last year) including eight structural fires, and crews paid visits to local seniors’ residences and residents; and the Communications Department published 19 storm-related news releases, posted dozens of information items on social media, assisted news crews in reporting from the Town, and liaised with Hydro One and other agencies to gather and provide information.
A permanent website for information on the ice storm has been established and will be updated on a continual basis: www.caledon.ca/icestorm