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MINDEMOYA—The municipality of Central Manitoulin, especially downtown businesses and residents of Mindemoya, have been severely impacted by the widespread flooding that took place across Manitoulin early last week. 

“I have had my business (Rainbow Accounting and Management Services) here 35 years and I have never had water surround this building,” stated Richard Stephens, who not only runs his business but is the mayor of Central Manitoulin, which declared a state of emergency on April 14 due to flooding. “There was at least a foot of water around my building (whose basement was flooded). The flooding is due to a combination of melting snow, higher water levels on the nearby creeks and the recent heavy rains.”

“My home and my store are a disaster,” stated Adam Smith, who owns Jake’s Home Centre in the downtown area. I have about three feet of water in our (business) basement, and a couple of inches in our lower level where our beds and bedroom furniture are. There is also a little bit of water running through our front door (despite sandbags filled with sand being placed in front of the doors), last Wednesday.