The community had a big mess to clean up after a severe thunderstorm came through Creemore Sunday, taking out several trees and causing a power outage.
The storm toppled two maple trees on Collingwood Street, which were blocking the road for a short period of time.
Cheryl Miller said she was at home when the two trees in her front yard fell.
“The wind and the rain got really bad. It came across really fast,” said Miller.
She said she looked out the window and happened to notice her granddaughter’s pink swing that was hanging from the tree fall from the sky.
“I saw the one branch from the tree hit the ground and both trees fell pretty much simultaneously,” said Miller.
The trees, about 60 feet tall, stretched all the way across the street.
Miller said they went out to survey the damage and take photos before doing a tour of the neighbourhood to see if any other trees had come down.
She said there were downed trees at Gowan Memorial Park and on a couple of other streets.
“By the time we got back there were some good Samaritans there and they were just sawing away,” said Miller.
People came from New Lowell and Mulmur to help open the road.
“The next day, we cleaned it all up,” said Miller.
She said the one tree will have to come down entirely because of the damage but the other tree may survive.
A community clean-up effort was under way Monday and chainsaws could be heard all over town.
Clearview Township’s Fire Chief Colin Shewell said firefighters were called to George Street where a tree had taken out hydro wires to be sure there were no hazards. It was one of four calls that day, including hydro lines arcing at County Road 9 and Riverside Drive, which was less of a hazard and more of a visual distraction, said Shewell.
He said Clearview wasn’t hit hard by the storm compared to its neighbouring municipalities and that the fire department’s dispatch agency serving the greater Barrie area received 287 9-1-1 calls that afternoon.
Councillor Thom Paterson was also out surveying the damage after the storm. He said there were trees down in the park. On Monday, he removed debris from the playground area.
As a member of the Tree Society of Creemore, he has been assessing the damage throughout town, both on township and private property. Paterson said there are more than 20 trees down. With the majority of the damage occurring on Fairgrounds Road, Elizabeth Street, Caroline Street, Mill Street and a tree fell on a home on Edward Street but there doesn’t appear to be any significant damage.
Paterson is hoping the township will help support the clean up effort and said he may bring the issue up at a council meeting Monday.
“I wish the township had used the same go get ‘em attitude that the residents had,” said Paterson.
Anyone wishing to contact the Tree Society to arrange for a replacement tree is asked to contact Liz Smith at 705-466-6171 or Tracey Kolowska at 705-466-6317 or tracey@treesocietyofcreemore.com.