For the
second time in two years, residents living along the Ottawa
River near Cumberland Village are busy preparing for potential
catastrophic flooding as heavy rain has seen the water rise
over 14 inches in 24 hours.
Some meterologists
are predicting the water could rise another two feet which
would surpass the level reached the last time the river
flooded area houses in May 2017.
A small
army of volunteers was busy filling sand bags on Leo Lane
and Morin Street all day on Friday. They plan to continue
their work on Saturday despite having to do so in the pouring
rain. Their efforts are greatly appreciated by local residents
who are hoping the sandbangs will help stem the rising water,
but the fact that the water may meet or possibly even exceed
the 2017 flood levels has them extremely worried - or at
least some of them. There are a handful of residents who
planned for just that possibility.
Mike Potvin
lives on a point of land that juts into the Ottawa River
at the end of Leo Lane. In 2017, the flood shifted his house
off its cinder block foundation and the water filled the
main floor, ruining their furniture, the hardwood floor
and the appliances.
Potvin
on has spent over $300,000 replacing the cinder block foundation
with a poured cement foundation and lifting it several feet
above the century flood plain. So as the Ottawa River continued
to rise on Friday, he was a picture of calmness knowing
that his house was safe and sound.
"I'm
good. I slept like a baby last night. I have a new generator
that can power the whole house and we have enough food for
a few days," Bisson said late Friday afternoon. "By
tomorrow the house will look like an island, but we'll be
good."
Next door,
Dan and Sahondra Larivée or justifiably nervous about
the situation. The couple spent over $100,000 on repairs
following the 2017 flood, but unlike the Potvins, they weren't
able to lift their small bungalow above it's current level.
Dan Larivée
is hoping the predictions of a repeat of 2017 turn out to
be off target. Even so he has availed himself of the sand
bags and the help of the volunteers.
Next door
to Larivée, Genevieve Landry and Chris Blenkiron
invested $30,000 in a Coffer dam following the 2017 flood.
The six-foot diameter inflatable dam is filled with water
and replaces the need for sandbags. They didn't have to
use it last year, but they are hoping it will do the job
this year. Rollande and Frank Roberge are also using a Coffer
dam.
Next to
Leo Lane and East Shore Road is Morin Road, Armstrong Road
and Boise Lane, the latter of which was already submerged
in a foot of water by late Friday afternoon.
Volunteers
were expected to continue sandbagging all day today, while
all eyes will be on the Ottawa River and the rising water
level.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
TAPROOM 260 presents Crooked Creek live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
MATT LULOFF W/ EDISON RUPERT performing at the Stray Dog Brewing Company, 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park. To register your team visit 
OTTAWA CARLETON MALE CHOIR in concert at the Navan-Vars United Church 1129 Smith Rd. in Navan at 2:30 p.m. Tickets $20 at the door.
THE ORLÉANS BREWING CO. presents Oyster Wednesdays every Wednesday. The Orléans Brewing Co. is located at 4380 Innes Rd. near McDonalds.
BLACKBURN HAMLET COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The entire community is invited…rain or shine! Please keep visiting blackburn.ca for more up-to-date information as it becomes available.
