Crews use heavy equipment to remove ice to prevent more Brampton flooding
Crews used excavators to pull chunks of ice out of the Credit River on Monday in hopes of preventing further flooding in Brampton.
Removing the ice from the river is key to preventing another ice jam from forming down the river, according to Michael Parks, Brampton's director of road maintenance, operations and fleet.
"We're minimizing the amount of ice that flows down the river," Parks told reporters on Monday.
"We're going to try to pull the ice out of the water rather than let it float down because it could cause further harm further down the water course. Our main focus right now is removing the ice jam."
A closeup of chunks of ice that have come together to form an ice jam in Brampton. The ice jam has led to flooding. (CBC)
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An ice jam that formed at an "elbow" of the river caused water to spill from its banks last week. Officials had to evacuate about 50 homes in the city's Churchville neighbourhood due to flooding. The water severely damaged six of those homes.
Parks said it should take about three to four days to clear the ice. About half a dozen city employees, plus contractors, chipped away at the jam in different areas on Monday. The ice will be shipped to a location where it can be stored and melted naturally.
Brampton Fire Chief Bill Boyes said breaking up the ice at the ice jam, where the ice has come together and compacted, enables water to flow more freely down the river and eases some of the flooding.
The smaller chunks of ice will move down river but water will be able to flow through the pieces, he said.
Residents in the six hardest hit homes were allowed to return on Saturday to assess damage and to contact their insurance companies, but city officials have told them that it's best not to stay there for the next 48 hours.
CITY URGES RESIDENTS TO BE CAUTIOUS GIVEN FORECAST
Boyes said on Monday that officials are urging residents to be cautious given that the forecast is calling for warm winter temperatures and rainfall.
"We're still concerned about future flooding that could happen in the coming days as we know precipitation will be falling tomorrow," he said.
He said residents should be aware of weather conditions, take any measures they can if they are in their homes, and ensure that they have an emergency kit on hand in case they do have to leave.
Boyes said crews are continuing to pump water out of the neighbourhood using three large pumps.
"We still do have water that we are pumping from the low-lying areas," Boyes said.
Crews have removed an excavator that slid into the river on Friday night near the ice jam, he said. The operator was able to walk out of the machine and was not injured. The excavator had been breaking up ice in the river.
"We had to wait for the warmer weather today to get specialized equipment on scene to help remove the excavator," Boyes said.
The flooding occurred near Churchville Road and Steeles Avenue West. The Churchville area is lower lying than surrounding areas. Rain and warmer temperatures are believed to have contributed to the flooding.
This article, written by Muriel Draaisma, was originally published on CBC News on Feb. 21. Contains files from Dale Manucdoc.