In response to the rising water levels and localized flooding in the area, the Municipality of Sioux Lookout has taken further action and declared a State of Emergency on Tuesday (May 24, 2022).
Mayor Doug Lawrance says the decision to declare a State of Emergency is twofold.
"First, we wanted to ensure that residents would be able to access available resources and their insurance coverage by underscoring the seriousness of the localized flooding in Sioux Lookout,” explained Mayor Lawrance. “And second, in the unlikely event that the Municipality may be able to access Provincial resources to assist with infrastructure recovery efforts, we wanted to have the Emergency Declaration in place to facilitate such access if and when it becomes available.”
As of Wednesday (May 25, 2022), Sioux Lookout has not yet been designated a flood area but is working with the province in the event that is issued. If the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing declares Sioux Lookout a flood area, individuals may be eligible for the province’s disaster mitigation relief funding, the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program.
The municipality is also asking residents to report if their property, residence, or business has been damaged due to flooding. Those that do wish to share can contact the municipality at 737-2700 during regular business hours. You may also email customerservice@siouxlookout.ca to share your information.
Finally, please note the following reminders and updates:
• Please remember not to drink water from the lakes, or from wells that may have been compromised due to the flooding situation;
• When enjoying boating or other water-based recreational activities, please remember that there is a lot of debris in the area lakes due to the flooding - this debris can be a hazard to boaters; additionally, given the high-water levels, markers may have moved, rocks that are normally visible may be covered, etc. We also ask boaters to refrain from coming too close to shore to avoid creating waves onshore which can exacerbate the impact of flooding in a low-lying area