‘Our neighbours came to our rescue:’ Community supports Mulmur through State of Emergency

April 10, 2025 · 0 Comments

Written By SAM ODROWSKI

It’s been a rough week for Mulmur residents, who were placed under a State of Emergency from April 3 to 7.

An ice storm took out electrical infrastructure, causing blackouts and left trees on roadways and residents’ driveways, making them impassable.

Recognizing the magnitude of the required cleanup efforts following the storm, Mulmur Mayor Janet Horner declared a State of Emergency on April 3. This facilitated mutual aid, wellness checks, shelter activations and focused efforts on clean-up to support the needs of residents, while many of them were left without hydro.

When the call for support was put out, municipalities across Dufferin County came together to assist Mulmur in its recovery.

“While residents were sharing generators and helping each other clear tree limbs, our neighbours came to our rescue,” said Tracey Atkinson, Mulmur Township’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). “The Towns of Mono and Orangeville shared their crew and equipment to help Mulmur’s public works department clear roadways.”

She continued, “Dufferin staff helped coordinate additional support, including Dufferin Search and Rescue, Feed Ontario, Ontario Corps, Salvation Army, food bank and paramedics. Melancthon assisted by providing a warming centre and livestock water resources. Meanwhile, the Centre Dufferin Recreational Centre in Shelburne provided its facilities for the Kraft Hockeyville activities.”

As of Monday, April 7, Atkinson said Mulmur continued to have standing offers from all the other municipalities in Dufferin County to support the community’s ongoing clean-up efforts, all the while managing their own ice storm and flooding impact.

“I am truly grateful for the community volunteers, municipal partnerships, external agencies and the camaraderie as our broader community came together,” Atkinson lauded.

While the State of Emergency has ended, the Mulmur Township Office remains open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., offering charging stations as well as access to food, water and firewood, as some residents continue to deal with the aftermath of the ice storm.