Nerves fray in Cumberland, even as water recedes — somewhat
Four days ago, Leo Vachon watched the frantic efforts to save the riverfront homes on Leo Lane in Cumberland, and said the Flood of 2017 had nothing on the Flood of 1974.
By Monday, the Ottawa River was lapping at the edge of his yard. His sump pump had broken down — the city brought in two new gas pumps to replace it — and Leo was on the verge of tears.
“I’ve just about had it up to here,” he said, sliding two fingers across his chin.
Homeowners hadn’t given up the fight on Leo Lane, but four days of rising river had delivered a near-knockout blow. A security guard blocked anyone who was not a resident from entering the tiny enclave in Cumberland off Highway 174 about 1.5 kilometres east of Dunning Road.
On adjacent Morin Road, Ottawa Fire Services have established a command post and it was there that Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor Jim Watson stopped in Monday afternoon to survey the damage.
“This is obviously the worst flooding since the 1920s,” Watson said. “A lot of people have had to evacuate their homes. And there’s going to be a tremendous personal toll on people ... At the end of the day, the community has come together and it will stay together until everyone is back in their homes.”
There were signs Monday afternoon that the water in Cumberland and Clarence-Rockland was beginning to subside. Homeowners said the water had fallen about an inch by early afternoon, but yellow markers placed by the fire department on utility poles to mark the water level showed painfully little change an hour or so later.
Volunteers are still needed, the mayor said, urging anyone who can help to register on the city’s website.
“They should go to ottawa.ca and register as a volunteer and say when they can volunteer and what part of the city and we’ll get back to them as soon as possible,” he said. “We’re a little overwhelmed right now. Over 400 applied in the first hour or so, which is great problem to have. Or they could go to Constance Bay. There’s always work to be done there.”
With government workers in Gatineau ordered to stay home to ease congestion in the waterlogged region’s roads, many public servants showed up to volunteer for flood duty.
Heather McDow, a manager at Employment and Social Development Services in Hull, went with her grandson on Sunday to help fill sandbags near Petrie Island. On Monday, McDow traded her office clothes for blue jeans and rubber boots and showed up at the Morin Road command post looking to help.
“I wanted to try to contribute something. Why? Because I can,” McDow said. “My home is not being flooded and I hate water. Any kind of water seeping into the house terrifies me. And these poor people are suffering.”