Wellington Mayor Mike Broomhead is confused over an apparent change in the risk of West Nile virus in the township.
Works Superintended Gary Williamson recently told the township’s works committee that he had spoken with Cameron Clark from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit regarding actions to reduce the risk of the virus in the township. The discussion raised concerns about Arthur’s Eastridge subdivision storm retention ponds.
Williamson was told the northern part of the county is at very low risk for the virus and efforts were being focused in the southern part of Wellington County, where West Nile had been confirmed in the past.
However, the health unit will continue to monitor adult mosquitoes in the northern area, and if the virus is found, appropriate steps would be taken.
That report was confusing to Broomhead.
“It’s interesting, when you think back to about three years ago, then compare it to the last few lines of the report,” he said. “Remember back, it may have even been more than three years ago, that they’d identified areas heavy in larvae and we were on the high end of the scale for infestation.”
Steps were taken at that times to deal with the issue, Broomhead said. “Now, according to this, we’re not a risk.”
Williamson said the data recovered over the past few years show the southern end of the county is the area at highest risk. But, the same as everywhere else, funds have been cut back so that is where the focus will be. He said if the monitoring shows the north becoming a higher risk, the health unit will take steps to address that.
Williamson said that took him back to the matter of the Eastridge pond. The idea was to build it big enough with continual motion in the water, thus preventing the larvae from developing.
“We’re taking whatever steps we can to address the issue and the health unit will continue monitoring,” he said.
Broomhead replied, “Then, it’s kind of good News in a way. Before it sounded like the sounding of an alarm.”
Williamson said the other issue could be that actions in the past have resulted in the current situation for the township.
Broomhead also believed some of the ditching work done by the township has also had a positive effect.
