State of emergency in northern Ontario lakeside community due to rising water levels
Mitch and Donna Bujold moved to their Nellie Lake lot in 2018 for the lakefront view and access to the water, but in recent weeks, it seems the lake has been keen on accessing their property too.
Water levels began encroaching on their lakeside lawn in April, with the shoreline approaching their gazebo.
The Bujolds' gazebo flooded by Nellie Lake in Iroquios Falls as water levels continue to rise. May 29/23 (Sergio Arangio/CTV Northern Ontario)
"It just kept on creeping up, every single day, the water is getting higher," Mitch said.
"Plus the melting, it didn’t help, so the water kept on rising and rising."
Resisting the invading lake, the Bujolds piled on an estimated 300 sandbags provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. It resembles a makeshift trench holding the water at bay.
The rising water levels have also left some wildlife displaced, seeking refuge at the Bujold’s property.
"The beavers are coming across here, they’re coming up onto the driveway, they’re taking the trees," Donna said.
"We have the ducks that nest on the sandbags, basically."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Living in the unincorporated township of Aurora, the Bujolds said their basement sump pump is fighting the lake water off for now, but worry how long that will last.
The mayor of Iroquois Falls, Tory Delaurier, said septic beds and tanks in unincorporated properties are overflowing, contaminating the lake and potentially making his residents’ tap water on the opposite side of the lake unsafe.
A boil water advisory is in place and the area is under a state of emergency.
"If we did get another rainfall or high winds, it would compromise even more properties and more septic beds," Delaurier said.
"There’s even outhouses out there that are being compromised."
The mayor said agencies are investigating the cause of the flooding and preparing for an emergency meeting on Wednesday, to come up with an action plan.
Provincial agencies and police are using a local campground to access the lake.
"What we’ve had to do, so far, is just shut down our boat launch, so that no motorized boats can go on the water," said Tania Rondeau, owner of Cameron’s Beach Campground.
"We’re going to try to do what we can on our end to help everybody."
Other residents shared stories of flooded basements, where belongings and family memories were lost, along with land lost to the lake.
As the Bujolds cautiously watch their sandbag barricade, they hope the onslaught of water won’t last much longer.
"If it comes to October, November, when this thing freezes, we’re going to be in big trouble," Mitch said.
Meantime, Delaurier advises people to get their water tested by the Porcupine Health Unit by picking up a sampling kit and returning a tap water sample for testing.
He also urges people not to use the lake, for fear of provoking it further.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.