MINDEMOYA—Members of the Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) are in support of the idea of putting together an Island-wide wildfire emergency plan.
Dale Scott, a Central Manitoulin councillor told members of the MMA at a meeting last week, “My wife Holly did all the legwork on this. This motion was presented to the (Central Manitoulin) safety, security and health committee a month ago. From what I understand nothing has been done with it so far.”
Councillor Scott read the contents of the motion: “to prepare a specific wildfire emergency plan and to immediately authorize the fire chief to give evacuation orders and provide him or her with the information and support needed to expedite the orders.” The motion calls for “immediately investigating a telephone alert system and subscribe if necessary; To initiate work with the Manitoulin Municipal Association to put an Island-wide wildfire emergency plan in place; to communicate with the public regarding emergency preparedness and emergency alerts.”
“I have a daughter in Halifax, Nova Scotia who was ready to evacuate her home with her family when the wildfires got out of control there,” said Mr. Scott. “For 14 days straight they had their bags packed, and she knew at any time she might be advised that they would have 15 minutes to leave the community.”
“And look what happened in Hawaii earlier this year,” Councillor Scott continued, who said he and his wife Holly spoke “about the need for this plan. I know there is no plan currently in place for Central Manitoulin. We do have one in place for snowstorms and flooding, but not for wildfires.”
“All of Manitoulin Island should be working together on an Island-wide wildfire emergency plan,” said Councillor Scott. “Next summer could be even drier than this past summer, and we could be facing longer fire bans than this year.”
“Again, just look at what happened in Hawaii earlier this year and in the case of Nova Scotia everything happened so fast; and if we don’t have a plan it could prove to be disastrous,” said Councillor Scott.
“I think this is an issue our association should address,” Councillor Scott told the MMA members. “The risk is going to be there again next summer.”
Richard Stephens, mayor of Central Manitoulin, explained Central Manitoulin has an emergency management team. Every year we do a desktop emergency scenario for such disasters and floods. This year the desktop exercise will be on wildfires (to be held in November) so we can plan on being prepared in the event of a wildfire.
“Maybe everyone should take this proposal back to their own municipal councils for support,” suggested MMA Chair Ken Noland.
Gore Bay councillor Dan Osborne pointed out, “when a risk assessment (desktop exercise) is carried out for forest fires, wildfires are not on the radar. But with everything that has happened in the last year, there should be.”
Councillor Scott said there is a lot of homework that needs to be done in these type of assessment plans. “Everyone in each community needs to know where all residents are, some people can be living on a lane, basically on a mud track. And when the fire comes can’t get on the phone and get the MNRF to respond immediately, it could be two weeks before you even get an email from them.”
It was agreed by the MMA members that they will bring forward the idea of the Island working together to their councils and preparing a specific wildfire emergency plan for Manitoulin.
