Volunteers come together for sandbag collection
Volunteers weren’t tired after a long weekend of sandbag pickup at the Constance and Buckham’s Bay community centre.
“They’re feeling inspired and (they believe they’re) making a difference,” said volunteer manager Janet Lavern.
On Saturday, Lavern said, she saw 25 people come out to volunteer in the Constance Bay area. Come Monday, that number grew to 50 to 60 people.
In the aftermath of the Ottawa River flood, some communities are still trying to figure out what they can do with the sandbags they placed around properties to battle the rising waters.
The City of Ottawa encouraged volunteers to remove contaminated sandbags over the long weekend in the Dunrobin, Fitzroy Harbour and Constance Bay areas. Removal in Britannia and Cumberland was complete.
Both Ottawa and Gatineau are spearheading the sandbag collection operation.
Ottawa logistics manager Alex Charron said Monday the centre’s volunteers were focused on “community helping community.”
“The City of Ottawa needs permission and consent to enter people’s properties and remove their sandbags. As volunteers we can get prior consent,” Charron said.
Once the sandbags are removed from the property their put on the side of the road for daily pickup.
Lavern said four addresses in the Constance Bay area alone had 1,000 and 2,000 sandbags to be collected.
And there’s still more work to be done, she said. People who need flood relief or financial assistance can contact the community centre at 613-832-1050.