200 Bolton, Ont., residents displaced by flooding return home as waters recede

Most of the Bolton, Ont., residents forced from their homes when flood waters crested the Humber River have returned to their houses and apartments, according to local officials.

Some 85 homes and an apartment building were evacuated on Friday evening and early Saturday morning after six ice jams caused severe flooding in the community about 90 kilometres northwest of downtown Toronto.

About 200 people temporarily took shelter in a nearby community centre as crews worked to break-up the dangerous ice accumulations. Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson said Sunday afternoon that most of the residents were able to move back into their homes, while several others were still waiting for their basements to be fully drained.

Bolton is the most populous community within the town of Caledon.

All those affected by the flood waters should be back in their residences by the evening, Thompson added.

The flooding, which at one point had left the downtown area around the banks of the Humber River completely submerged under several feet of water, receded considerably overnight Sunday and into the morning.

Six houses were particularly hard hit, Thompson said. Those homeowners will need to completely reconstruct their basements, he added, though they will be able to live in their houses as the work is done.

Sylvia Jones, minister of community safety and correctional services and MPP for Dufferin–Caledon, toured the community this morning. According to Thompson, some homeowners may qualify for provincial funding to help them rebuild parts of their houses.

Many residents have expressed that they do not have flood insurance, Thompson said. CBC Toronto has reached out to Jones for clarification on how much financial assistance may become available to them.

The flooding prompted provincial police to close roads throughout Bolton’s downtown core on Saturday. While most have since reopened, King Street E. will remain closed until Sunday evening to allow utilities crews to work freely, Thompson explained.