RECOVERY IN HIGH GEAR
Discovery Ridge evacuees pick up the pieces as they trickle back into their flood-ravaged homes
Nearly a month ago, Discovery Ridge residents started returning to their flood-ravaged homes. This week, the final group of evacuees began to trickle back into the southwest neighbourhood.
“You can see the situation’s pretty bad,” said Burnis Stubbs, a resident of The Wedge-woods of New Discovery, a condo-complex that has remained closed since the floods.
Stubbs lived on the first floor of Chateau 10 — the first of three buildings that took in water during the floods.
The wood flooring in his master bedroom was damaged, but he expected it to be fixed within the next few days.
“Most of all, to me, we’re all alive and still here. To me, that’s the ultimate. The rest of the stuff, I think we’ll all just work together and hold our community together,” said Stubbs, who has lived in his condo for five years.
Ola Czyz, another fiveyear resi-dent of The Wedge-woods, said the wait to get in has been a little bit long compared to others in the neighbourhood, but she doesn’t mind.
“You want to make sure everything is up to par,” said Czyz.
It was outside the residences where much of the action was
… we’re all alive and still here. To me. that’s the ultimate BURNIS STUBBS, NEW DISCOVERY RESIDENT
taking place Wednesday. Crews were ripping out first floor carpeting and continuing to dry and disinfect damp areas.
“It was absolutely devastating when we first arrived,” said Mark Soloman, senior manager for EllisDon, the company tasked with managing the Wedge-woods cleanup.
In the paved courtyard that the three Wedge-woods’ buildings surround, a bunch of dirt-splattered vehicles sat in ruins near a pack of mudcovered bicycles.
Soloman said Discovery Ridge Lane, where Wedge-woods is located, resembles High River b-ecause the water took so long to recede.
“The entire area’s water table has grown, so that has been an extreme factor,” he said.
That created a significant problem in the complex’s two parking garages. Both were full of water, required repetitive pumping and the use of heavy-duty dryers.
“That’s the issue with taking so long,” said Soloman.
Beyond delaying the return of residents, the parking garage damages are also causing street parking concerns.
While walking to his car, parked in a gravel parking lot adjacent to a soccer field near his building, Stubbs pointed to a row of vehicles lining Discovery Ridge Lane.
“You can see you’re going to have over a thousand cars parking here. It’s going to be a mess,” he said.
A mess the city is already working on, said Ward 6 Alderman Richard Pootmans.
“There’s a whole bunch of really good ideas,” said Pootmans, who added many solutions to the parking problem came during a town hall meeting with some of the roughly 1,200 residents earlier this week.
Alternative parking spaces, increased public transit and a shuttle service are a few of the ideas being considered.
“The solution is going to be a ton of community patience and co-operation,” said Pootmans, who is meeting with the Parking Authority on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
“It will be a combination of all of those parking solutions.”
Despite the delay and dealing with some damages ,Stubbs is satisfied with the way the city and condo administration have responded to last month’s flood.
“It’s good to be home,” he said.