IceStorm 98 Study

Queen’s University Ice Storm ’98 Study

Following the Ice Storm, Queen's University obtained funding from Human Resources Development Canada, Kingston Office, to study the local response to the ice storm emergency in 10 municipalities stretching from Kingston to Brockville along the St. Lawrence River.

Included were the Cities of Kingston and Brockville, the Town of Gananoque, the Village of Athens and the Townships of Frontenac Islands (Wolfe Island in particular), Front of Leeds and Lansdowne, Front of Escott, Front of Yonge, Rear of Yonge and Escott, and Elizabethtown. A variety of municipalities are represented ranging from Kingston, the second largest city in eastern Ontario (population: approximately 110,000) to the various Townships, which tend to be rural and sparsely populated (see Map1; Map 2 shows the major urban centres in eastern Ontario).

Approximately 200 interviews were conducted with local politicians, municipal staff, firefighters, police officers, farmers, members of the media, armed forces personnel, Queen's University staff, hospital workers, volunteers, and members of volunteer organizations. A few interviews were also conducted with employees of Ontario Hydro, Bell Canada, and various Ontario Provincial Ministries. The interviews were recorded on audio tape and written summaries are also available.

Information collected for the study includes several dozen post-storm reports, over 500 newspaper clippings, a variety of videos, and a collection of photographs. Some information on events outside the study area is available. There is also background material describing the project, giving a context for the ice storm and an overview of the material to aid in understanding the archives.

The original intent of the Queen’s University Ice Storm ’98 Study was to simply collect and organize the information in order to capture a piece of history and to provide material for further research and analysis. However, as the project progressed, numerous lessons in emergency preparedness and response emerged which was felt should be made available to emergency planners and responders. Further funding was secured Emergency Preparedness Canada and a report titled “Lessons in Emergency Preparedness and Response -- Queen's University Ice Storm ’98 Study” was prepared.

Also arising out of the research were suggested response measures that require legislative change and a number of issues related to the ice storm emergency response that should be explored in some depth as a first step in improving future emergency response in eastern Ontario. This report looks at these issues and lists possible legislative changes.

The points of view expressed here are based only on the information collected and not on a review of available literature. The intent of the project was to record responses before memories faded. The key local players were interviewed along with a sample of others, but there has been no attempt to verify information or undertake a comprehensive study. However, the issues discussed here were raised by many of the interviewees and are relevant to preparing for and responding to future emergencies of a similar nature. Errors, omissions and contradictions are inevitable. It is left to the reader to draw his/her own conclusions. This report should be read in conjunction with the “Lessons” report.

More information in a CD-ROM format is available from the Queen’s University Archives. The CD contains written statements of all the interviews, a copy of this report, the “Lessons” report, a listing of all the material collected for the project, and summaries of how the emergency response was conducted in several of the municipalities studied.

For those wishing to delve deeply, all the material collected for the Queen’s University Ice Storm ’98 Study is deposited in the Queen’s University Archives.