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The Ayr News ~ Published by the Schmidt family since 1913 ~ North Dumfries • Blandford-Blenheim • Brant • East Zorra-Tavistock • Wilmot
Vol. 125 — No. 21
AYR, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, may 25th, 2022
$45 Per Annum — $1.00 each
Northumberland Street residents survey the storm damage. More photos on page 3.
Derecho storm causes a death at Pinehurst Lake
DOUBLES IN BURFORD – From left: Jake Bond and Landon Dickinson perform a double landing at the Burford skatepark. See story about expansion of the skatepark on page 6.
by Helen Hall A powerful storm tore through southwestern Ontario Saturday afternoon, killing one person and injuring two at the Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area. According to the Brant OPP, Shelby Humble-Neale, 27, of Brantford died when a tree fell on a trailer at Pinehurst Lake. Two other people in the trailer were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Brant OPP, County of Brant Fire Department and Brant-Brantford Paramedics attended the scene. Environment Canada said the storm was a derecho – a widespread, long-lived windstorm that includes thunderstorms. In a derecho, the wind travels in a straight line, rather than spiralling as it does in a tornado.
Environment Canada reported that wind gusts reached 132 kilometres per hour at the Waterloo Region International Airport and 104 kilometres per hour at the Brantford Airport. Trees came down across North Dumfries Township and the surrounding areas, causing power outages and damage to houses, fences and cars. The power went out in Ayr around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and came back at about 8:30 p.m. The power was out again for a few hours on Sunday morning while the clean-up continued. Two large trees fell across Northumberland Street, near Knox Church, closing the road for the remainder of the Victoria Day weekend. A home across the street had a window smashed and
the rear window of a car broken from branches from their neighbour’s trees. There was some damage to the homes under construction south of Hilltop. The entire frame of an accessory building being built on Gladstone Road collapsed. A tree brought down a hydro line across the walkway on the Piper Street Bridge. Ayr softball coach Mark Hall was walking through Victoria Park when the storm blew through, taking down a tree that landed on the fence around the large diamond. He found a safe refuge in the stone storage facility under the Victoria Park pavilion, watching the wind and hail. Many residents spent the remainder of the long weekend cleaning up debris.