Lakereport.ca / Niagaranow.com Downpour causes Hyper-local news for Niagara-on-the-Lake widespread flooding The Page 2 Vol. 2,Lake Issue 31 Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Report most respected newspaper August 8, 2019 Legion, Kinsmen offer rain refuge to Irish scouts Spirits not dampened by storm as scouts prepare to head home from a three-week excursion Richard Harley help out. The Lake Report Beth Black, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Even Tuesday’s torrential on King Street, was just downpour couldn’t dampen closing up for the night the giving spirit of Niagara- when she noticed a couple on-the-Lake. of soaked scout leaders When more than 150 vis- walking her way. iting Irish scouts returned to “I was out tending the their camp in the Commons plants, and two of the after the severe thunder- leaders came up and told About 100 Irish scouts take refuge at the Legion on Tuesday night after their campsite in the Commons was rained out in storm that hit town, they us about the emergency a severe thunderstorm. JESSICA MAXWELL found their campground they had out in the Com- devastated. Tents were mons — tents floating, the flooded, sleeping bags were wind damage,” Black said hold all four troops, each Luckily for the remain- sero had already offered to ree, which the Irish scouts soaked, and the rain just in an interview late Tuesday. consisting of 36 scouts and ing troops, Legion president open the community centre attended before visiting kept coming. “They were all out on day four leaders. Paul Eramian happened to for the scouts, but it wasn’t NOTL, quickly jumped into Luckily, the night would trips, but when they came “The Kinsmen gave them be in-house and he didn’t necessary because the Le- action. have a much happier ending, back they found chaos.” the scout camp, but that hesitate to offer them the gion stepped up to the plate The scouts had to send thanks to the kindness of She learned half of the only held about 60 people, event hall for the night. so quickly. their sleeping bags to a members of the local Le- scouts had already found so they came over here and “We said, ‘Sure, come on NOTL resident Mike laundromat in St. Catha- gion and Kinsmen Hall, and shelter at the Kinsmen Hall, asked us if we could help in,’” said Eramian. Scott, who helped co-chair residents who stepped up to but it wasn’t big enough to them out.” Lord Mayor Betty Di- the World Scout Jambo- Continued on Page 3 Plans unveiled for new St. Davids pool Waverly Neufeld children and anyone with a ics co-ordinator at the St. “The shallow end is very Special to The Lake Report disability. Davids pool. deep compared to Niagara- Aldridge-Low, 51, said Aldridge-Low, a com- on-the-Lake. NOTL is Elaine Aldridge-Low has that will make it easier petitive swimmer in her much more shallow,” said been swimming at the St. for the lifeguards to teach youth, said she would visit Aldridge-Low. David’s Community Pool younger children. For St. Davids on holiday from But she has always pre- since she was 11 and was decades, kids have relied on Scotland back then. She ferred the St. Davids pool pleased overall with the NOTL’s pools to learn to hopes to see a new pool to its Old Town counterpart plans she saw for the new swim. that’s modernized and better because of the park-like set- pool during a community Families like Rebecca for the lifeguards. ting. “It’s very peaceful.” open house last Wednes- Saylor’s have swam at the “They have to work “One of the beauties of day. But she also had some pool for years. Her grand- within real constraints right this model is that it is a hid- concerns. mother, Vi Mills, supervised now,” she said. den gem in a pathlike set- Instead of a ladder, the the Niagara Pool for over The pool is too deep in ting,” said Aldridge-Low. “I new pool will incorporate a 30 years and taught many the shallow end, so young think if you lose that you’re “beach-entry,” which gradu- generations of kids how to children end up sitting on losing something.” ally slopes from the pool swim. A few years back she the stairs because they can’t The new pool will be built deck into the water, mak- retired at the age of 80 and stand in the shallow end, ing it more accessible for Saylor is now the aquat- she said. Continued on Page 2 A rendering of the new pool in St. Davids. SUPPLIED Page 2 August 8, 2019 NEWS That’s what makes our Community Pharmacy different. www.simpsonspharmacy.ca Heavy rain causes extreme flooding around town Brittany Carter would cause some flood- The Lake Report ing in most situations, she added. Torrential rain Tuesday As far as she could tell, night caused extensive dam- she said the flooding at age to at least one home on Joseph’s Estate Wines was Irvine Road. similar to what she expe- The van der Zalm family rienced on her property, noticed the excessive water she didn’t know whether around 6 p.m. but had little it had experienced any time to mitigate the flooding permanent damage. Any caused by more than three concern on her property inches of rainfall over an was managed with sump hour and half, Jimmy van pumps, she said, no water der Zalm said. made it inside. The family had four or Employees at Joseph’s Es- five pumps on the property tate didn’t comment on the to remove the excess water, effect of the flooding, and but the damage to the base- the winery owners couldn’t ment, where the water level be reached. reached nine inches, was Irvine and Firelane 12 already done, he said. was “washed out” with a lot On Wednesday morning, of flooding, Disero said in the family was working the email. with their insurance com- “A few skids of sandbags pany to see what options were delivered to the area The van der Zalm family experienced heavy flooding in their yard and basement as a result of heavy rain. They estimate are available to them, said and private property owners the cost to repair the damages will be close to $70,000. SUPPLIED PHOTOS John van der Zalm, owner are pumping water off their of the home on 1499 Irvine for the last year about how day evening to assess the In an email assessment of could have been avoided if properties. There was a Road. it can better manage flood- flooding. She said the water the flooding Tuesday night, the drains had been properly carbon monoxide alarm and “If it’s similar to what ing concerns. had trouble getting to the Disero said she believed maintained. the fire fighters have now we’ve had before, it’ll be “We’ve been working lake, and there was a creek the flooding at Joseph’s “We took a walk, and cleared it,” she said. $70,000, maybe $80,000. with the town for over a which overflowed, causing Estate Wines on Niagara it looks like a lot of the As of Wednesday after- We experienced similar year. They’re taking their a lot of flooding in a couple Stone Road was caused by drainpipes and all that are noon, Disero said there were flooding about a year and a sweet time. Not to be face- backyards around the Irvine a blocked culvert owned by not kept clear. As a result no new concerns about the half ago. A decade ago, we tious, but it just takes a long Road, Firelane 12 area. the region. of that, the water can’t go night’s rainfall, but town had similar flooding as well, time,” he said. As the flooding in the area Maxine Wright, who anywhere,” she said. staff were out to check the the same thing,” he said. Betty Disero, lord mayor, occurred on private prop- lives next to Joseph’s Estate She was told by the region storm sewers and catch He said he has been in said she was on Irvine Road erty, Disero said the town Wines, said she thinks some there was six inches of rain basins to make sure every- contact with the town often around 8 or 9 p.m. Tues- just provided sandbags. of Tuesday night’s flooding throughout the day, which thing is clear all over. through aerobics and swim daughters in to change and Residents pleased aerobics,” said Koroneos. mothers can take their sons, “I think it’s a win-win for the meeting was told. everybody.” As a lane swimmer, to see investment “My one concern was Aldridge-Low’s biggest what was going to happen concern is the capacity of with the old pool. Were they the pool. in St. Davids pool just going to close it? So, I “We get a lot of triathletes guess one of those concerns come into the pool some- Continued from Front Page preserve green space, said is gone, because it looks like times right before competi- Turcotte. there is going to be a new tions and they basically take on the site of the current one Most of the audience pool, which is fantastic.” over the pool,” she said. and construction is to begin agreed on keeping the cur- During the presentation, Some of the lane swim- after the 2020 summer rent location of the pool, one woman questioned why mers are more leisurely season.