John Wilson remembers the ice storm
As long as he lives John Wilson will never forget the 1998 ice storm.
“It did not seem to be a very bad winter,” said Wilson. “We had some cold weather. Then it softened up, and the rain came down. I never dreamed it would go on for as long as it did.”
In 1998 John Wilson was mayor of the newly formed Township of Champlain. As a retired lineman with Ontario Hydro, Wilson could already imagine the trouble this weather would cause.
“After a few days you could see the trees start arching down,” he recalled, seeing again the weight of the ice pushing branches and even entire trees down towards the power lines.
Emergency action
On January 4, 1998, Wilson and the other mayors of Prescott-Russell gathered together for an emergency session. By mutual consent, he was named Chief Superintendent for the Prescott-Russell Disaster Program (PRDP). First order of business was to review the available emergency plan(s) for the region.
“When I started I had three concerns,” Wilson said. “First: No casualties. Second: Protect the seniors. Third: Get the (power) grid back up as fast as possible.”
The PRDP included representatives for fire, police, ambulance, Hydro, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other groups. Wilson and the PRDP met each morning to review issues of the day, progress in dealing with effects of the ice storm, and setting priorities. As the ice storm continued and the work piled up, the meetings shifted to every second day as everyone focused on problems and responsibilities.
Wilson himself spent most of every day touring the region, checking on progress in getting the power back on, and manning the shelters for those who couldn’t stay at their homes. He met with senior government
officials who came to tour the area, and also with Canadian Armed Forces representatives after the federal government assigned military units to help with emergency relief.
“A typical day was going from place to place, making sure that everything was in place,” he said. “I equate it to an orchestra. Everybody in an orchestra knows what they need to do. They just need a conductor to bring the music together.”
Unsung heroes
“What I recall the most from those days are the volunteers,” Wilson said. “People all trying to help. All in all, it was a scary situation, but with the co-operation of everyone, it all worked out.”
Wilson described the Ice Storm of ’98 as “a learning experience” for himself and others. He lives in Renfrew, ON now and one of the first things he made sure of was that he had a working portable generator at home.
“When I hear a tree cracking or ice falling now,” he said, “it still brings back memories.”