About 135 homes evacuated below damaged Halifax-area dam as repairs are made

HALIFAX – About 135 homes below a dam at Lake Major have been evacuated as crews work to repair damage to the structure.

The city says emergency maintenance work on a fish ladder adjoining the Lake Major dam started around 9 a.m. and is expected to wrap up at 5 p.m.

They say crews have placed large rocks at the base of the dam near the fish ladder and will reinforce the fish ladder itself by filling it in with more rocks.

City officials said a routine inspection this week found a problem with the fish-way attached to the dam. The damage to the fish-way is from the last major storm, said Carl Yates, general manager of Halifax Water.

The evacuation order was put in place as a precautionary measure, said Yates.

“Should there be a breach of the dam, [flooding] would be our concern. The risk is low, but obviously as we do activity right next to the dam, the risk increases,” said Yates. “The evacuation is precautionary.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Should there be a breach of the dam, [flooding] would be our concern. The risk is low, but obviously as we do activity right next to the dam, the risk increases," said Yates. "The evacuation is precautionary."

“Public life is what we take first and foremost, so it’s precautionary from that basis.”

Most of the residents Global News spoke with complied with the evacuation notice.

Ross and Helen Isenor gathered important belongings to take with them as they left their home. They packed clothes for up to three days, but expected to be allowed back home much sooner than that.

Just across the Little Salmon River, resident Ron Settle said he preferred to stay at home.

At least two residents needed assistance from paramedics to leave their homes, due to health concerns.

RCMP officers assisted with many tasks, ranging from patrolling the evacuation zone, to caring for residents’ pets.

Two evacuation centres have been open throughout the day on Saturday. The first is the East Preston Recreation Centre at 24 Brooks Dr., the second is City Heights Church at 946 Main St. Residents will be allowed to bring their pets to the centres.

Some of the roads that fall under the evacuation order are parts of Crane Hill Road., Salmon River Drive, Ross Road, Brookside Avenue, Greenvale Crescent, and Lake Major Road.

WATCH: Fear of dam breach at Lake Major leads to evacuation order

Volunteer search and rescue crews were out between 8:30 p.m. and midnight Friday, notifying residents in the affected area. Residents with any concerns are being asked to phone the city’s call centre at 311.

The construction will also affect traffic in the area. Four of the six bridges in the area of the dam will be closed to traffic while crews work on the dam, said officials. The bridges that will be closed are on Lake Major Road, Salmon River Drive, Crane Hill Road, and Ross Road. The bridges on Highway 107 and Highway 207 will remain open throughout the day, barring any unforeseen issues.

For the latest information on the evacuation go to halifax.ca and the @HalifaxWater Twitter feed.

– With files from The Canadian Press and Patrick Odell, Global News