City staff and Orillia fire crews have been in contact with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit about several spills of a still unknown substance Saturday at the Port of Orillia.
Orillia fire has confirmed they do not believe the substance to be gas or oil, according to city spokesperson Melissa Gowanlock, adding it may be algae. She said drinking water has not been impacted and the city will continue to monitor the situation,
"Staff will be taking samples of the water in the area to be tested and will be working with the Health Unit and Ministry to determine next steps as per Health Unit and Ministry direction," Gowanlock said in an email.
There were several places where crews were erecting temporary barriers on the water to help contain the contaminant during the day.
Fire officials confirmed there were "multiple" spots in the Lake Couchiching water that were impacted. However, they were unable, at the time of publication, to say what was spilled, nor could they pinpoint the source to a boat at the port or to some other cause.
At this point, officials say there is no reason to believe the spill came from a boat; it may be blue-green algae.
There is a massive construction project underway along Centennial Drive, but there was no indication that project was the source.
One person did indicate a few dead fish had been spotted in one of the impacted areas.
Allan Lafontaine, the Port of Orillia's harbour master, worked alongside other port staffers in an aluminum boat as they helped firefighters erect barriers around the impacted areas along the boardwalk between the Orillia Waterfront Centre and the public boat launch.
Lafontaine said he couldn't comment on the source of the spill or what was spilled, saying the fire department is investigating.
The Port of Orillia is hosting its annual Christmas in June event today. As a result, the municipal docks are full of boats. There is no indication today's festivities will be halted as a result of the spill.
The vendor market, planned to coincide with today's event, was abruptly cancelled Friday due to "circumstances beyond our control," said the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce in a media release issued Friday.
The Downtown Orillia Management Board also announced this morning the inaugural Sweet Summer Dessert Festival had been cancelled.
"Due to circumstances beyond our control and the risk of thunderstorms, the Sweet Summer Dessert Festival planned for June 24 in downtown Orillia will not take place," explained a Facebook post from the board earlier this morning. "We apologize for the inconvenience."
The event was to feature more than 30 vendors and merchants for a day filled with desserts, music and a kids zone filled with free family activities, officials said.
