Calgarians help their neighbours
Sewage, debris tackled by army of volunteers
CA LGA Ry • The street outside her Sunnyside home still consumed with a murky, footdeep puddle, and a small army of volunteers tracking wet mud through her home, Brenna Wathke perched over a sign that read: “Hey neighbours, good news! We all own waterfront properties.”
Hers had been one of dozens of communities hard-hit by the rising rapids of the Bow River. The torrent swamped her neighbourhood, leaving as much as seven feet of water in some homes.
“I don’t even know half of them,” the accountant said. “We may have lost things of value, but what’s priceless is the help I’m getting.”
This stretch of Sunnyside may still be uninhabitable, but no one here is waiting for the government to fix everything. Dozens of friends, neighbours and perfect strangers have just shown up, providing free food, generators and pumps. Volunteers in thick rubber boots were directed to homes in need. There, they shovelled mud or moved strips of sodden carpets through windows. It’s a scene that’s starting to replicate itself throughout the city.
Ms. Wathke was so overwhelmed that she insisted many of the helpers sign their names and leave their email addresses on her basement wall. The bottom four feet of drywall, soaked by flood waters, will have to be removed. The rest will stay forever.
“I don’t have family here,” she said, stifling tears. “Everyone has been so incredible.”
As the rivers receded and all but a handful of Calgarians were allowed to return to their flooded, muddy homes on Sunday, the city banded together to help their neighbours, friends and family. In many areas, electricity, gas and sewage were still unavailable. Although Calgary was not the worst-hit by the deluge of river water that has devastated Southern Alberta communities for the past several days, it was the largest to be affected. A city of 1.2 million almost completely disabled by the disaster, the scale of the clean-up ahead is daunting.
About 75,000 people were displaced and unknown thousands of homes were trashed by sewage, mud and rapids. As there is no overland flood insurance in Canada, many will
rely on government or their own savings to cover the cost of cleaning, replacing and repairing their homes.
Much of Sunnyside was still unlivable Monday, filled with grey porta-potties, inches of mud, and a growing swarm of mosquitoes. Residents had been instructed to put signs in their window telling city officials what they needed; gas, electricity, water pumping. Few had patience for all that. As most had the day off work — much of the downtown remains closed and powerless — volunteers swarmed affected communities to help move garbage bags filled with clothes, unsalvageable mattresses, ruined dressers and spoiled food. The thrum of generators and sump pumps were all that could be heard for several blocks in any direction.
For the past three days, Stuart Quinn said he manned a food table at the corner of one of the worst-hit street corners. He witnessed a steady stream of vegetable trays, BBQ smokies and hot meatballs. “The table is never empty,” he said. “People just walk by and drop off stuff.”
It didn’t stop with food. He also kept a clipboard that tracked which homes in the neighbourhood had finished pumping their basements. When volunteers arrived to help — and within minutes, three had done exactly that — he directed them to the nearest address in need of manpower.
An events company brought in tidy portable toilets with faux granite countertops. Two solar-powered charging stations were on loan. Even Calgary’s vaunted food trucks joined the act. At least five offered free meals to emergency workers, media and volunteer helpers. But the worry remains. “I don’t think renters’ insurance is going to cover this,” said Vanessa Coates-Human, while standing in the flooded basement of her home. Wearing bright yellow rubber boots, she pointed to the mud marks on the wall; at its peak, the water was as high as five feet. There would be much work ahead; the house may not be stable, the appliances could be toast. There are fears of black mould.
“We’re all trying to figure out what to do. We have no idea what the timelines are. We’ve never been in a situation like this,” she said as a small pump reduced the water level by a few inches every hour. Still, it’s not so bad. Ms. Wathke said all the things can be replaced. What she does know is that after all the help she’s received, she’ll never live anywhere else: “They’ll have to take me to the cemetery from this street.”