Mother Nature paid a visit to the Ganaraska River in Port Hope on Thursday, February 17, 2022.
With the warm weather and rain, rivers and creeks had a steady flow of water. Other areas received flooding and some roads were also flooded over in the area at times.
It’s not uncommon for a ice jam to occur along the Ganaraska River in Port Hope, but the one that started around 10:45 a.m. seemed to be one of the larger ones stretching from Walton Street beyond the railway viaduct.
It didn’t take long for word to travel around town before people came and took photos of the ice jam.
Life long resident and former Port Hope councillor Karen O’Hara said, “I have watched this river for the past 50 plus years and I’ve never seen it backed up so much.”
“You could walk across it right now.”
When the town was devastated by a flood in 1980, O’Hara remembers helping with her father in anyway.
Cars and businesses were carried away by the torrent of water that tore through the main street of Port Hope.
Since then, the town has held the Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny River Race every year.
O’Hara said the residents certainly appreciate the river, “but Mother Nature is just playing havoc on us right now.”
With the warmer temperatures, “O’Hara said the ice jam didn’t surprise her and credits workers from Oliver Excavating and town crews for monitoring the situation.
Excavators started around 4 p.m. working to clear the ice jam.
“It’s just Mother Nature – you can’t do anything about it.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
