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Town of Oakville seeks ice storm response from Province March 1 by Julie Le Oakville Beaver Staff 11 | Friday, February 21, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Recovery from December's ice storm will take months and likely continue into 2015, says Colleen Bell. The Town of Oakville Commissioner of Community Services told Town council Jan. 27, there's still significant work ahead to clean debris, take care of damaged trees and inspect trails and woodlots before they can be open again to the public. "Our known costs right now are $658,000, of which $569,000 is eligible potentially for disaster relief funding from the Province," she said, as she briefed council on the Town's efforts during the storm and a plan to move forward. "Our cost estimates so far are at $2.7 million, however, again the woodlot and trail issue raises an unknown and I expect that those costs will probably go up." The Dec. 21 ice storm was the worst weather event GTA municipalities have experienced in years, initially leaving 29,000 Oakville Hydro customers without power, said Bell. Another 15,000 customers experienced a power outage in the New Year. The level of destruction was "quite extraordinary," said Bell, noting the Town is- sued a significant event declaration to extend shift hours for workers clearing and de-icing roads. About 2,300 tonnes of salt was used to ensure public safety, five times the amount of a regular winter storm event, said Bell, adding the Oakville Roads and Works Operations Department monitored road conditions around the clock and cleared 1,900 lane kilometres of roads and 900 kilometres of sidewalks. Bell commended staff for working extended shifts through the holidays. Mayor Rob Burton said Oakville Hydro and Town staff responded to the challenge with incredible speed. "You have a quality set of people working for you," he said. "People gave up holidays with their own families in order for residents to have a speedier return to a quality holiday time with their families and that tells you how dedicated our staff are and I hope that the memory of this will last a long time." Bell said over the next couple of months, the Town is requesting public assistance in reporting damaged trees and branches to ServiceOakville. Town staff is also concerned about the safety of trails and asks residents respect the caution tape at trail and woodlot entrances. see Municipalities on p.13 P A STA F E STI VA L February 18th to March 18th Traditional Caesar Salad Or Mixed Garden Greens with a White Balsamic Vinaigrette Or Chef's Homemade Soup of the Day ef Homemade Meat Cannelloni Baked with Cheddar Cheese on a bed of Tomato Cream Sauce Or Spaghettini Bolognese (Traditional Meat Sauce) Or Fettuccine alla Carbonara (Roasted Bacon in a White Wine Cream Sauce with egg, Parmesan Cheese & Cracked Black Pepper) Or Rigatoni Arrabiatta with Fresh Basil & Yellow Peppers Or Orecchiette with a Trio of Wild Mushrooms, B-52 Cheesecake Or Creme Caramel Or Chocolate Walnut Semifreddo with Kahlua $ ef Broccoli in a Light Parmesan Olive Oil Garlic Sauce, Fresh PEI Mussels over Linguine in a Chardonnay, Marinara Sauce Or Penne with Fire-roasted Veal Strips in a Barolo Wine Sauce Topped with Roasted Pine nuts Or Butter Poached Striped Lobster Ravioli with a Riesling Cream Vermouth Sauce, Fresh Garlic & Chives Or Cheese Tortellini with wild Mushrooms Tomato Cream Sauce Or Gluten Free Pasta with Baby Spinach and Vegetables in an Olive Oil Garlic Sauce 27.00 (plus taxes and gratuities) 1715 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga 905-822-5751 · www.michaelsbackdoor.com