Minto Clifford school to get wired for emergency power generator

It looks like Minto Clifford Public School is getting wired for emergency power.

The item came up at a Minto council meeting Monday night, with a background memo from community emergency management coordinator Linda Dickson.

She wrote that floods have been identified in the town’s hazard identification and risk assessment as a high potential community risk.

She said that in 2008, Harriston experienced the effects of a 1:5 to 1:10 flood. During that time, the main evacuation centre was located in the Harriston community centre.

“However, a flood of any greater magnitude would have rendered the building unsuitable for evacuees,” she said.

As a result, she wrote, “There has been considerable discussion between the town and the Upper Grand District School Board regarding the use of the Minto Clifford Public School, which is well outside the 1 to 100 year flood limits.

“Currently there is an un­der­standing between the school board and the municipality for use of this school during times of emergency.”

Dickson wrote the school board is in the process of ex­panding the school and municipal staff approached the board about the installation of a generator as part of that addition to the school.

“A generator would ensure back-up power to the school-evacuation centre site should a power failure occur in conjunction with a major event.”

Town staff provided the board the size of the municipality’s mobile generator which could be used on site.

The board’s consultant de­termined the addition could be wired to accept the power in the case of an emergency.

The estimated cost for that work is about $14,000.

Dickson wrote that “the members of the town’s emergency management program com­mittee recognize that the potential for flooding in Harriston is high and the potential for a significant flood which could render the Harriston community centre unsuitable during such an event is just as high.”

The need to provide suitable temporary accommodations with a secure power source within Harriston for displaced residents was given a high priority by the committee.