Artists in an off-island Montreal suburb are binding driftwood and found objects together as a symbol of the tight bonds that were formed in the wake of the historic floods that swept through the region this past spring.

Over 4,000 homes were flooded across Quebec as a result of record downpours in April. Many residents were forced to evacuate with little notice. In Hudson, Que., lingering feelings about the destruction have given new meaning to the annual Land Art exposition.

Monica Brinkman’s home was not impacted by the floods, but many of her neighbours’ were. She created a life-sized man from driftwood with a huge red heart to symbolize the outpouring of goodwill she saw during the crisis.

“It’s trying to bring some happiness to everybody after the sadness,” she told CTV Montreal.

She also built a huge empty driftwood picture frame for people to stand behind and snap photos.

“My installation is a tribute to the strong sense of community in all the volunteers, so I created a big frame that I want everybody to be able to take their picture in,” Brinkman said.

The idea behind land art is to use natural materials and found objects to create something that will one day decompose naturally and return to the earth.

Local art gallery owner Nancy Farnum built a giant nest perched atop large pieces of wood and covered in vines. She said her sculpture tells the story of the floods.

“I have invasive vine that is crawling up the nest. That is representing the water that came and invaded peoples’ homes,” she explained. The fish above the nest represent the people and creatures that were displaced, she said.

While memories of the floods are sure to dredge up painful memories, these artists say they want people to remember the community spirit that helped them through those difficult days.

“People will be talking about the flood each time they see these sculptures,” said Farnum.“It’s a reminder but in a happy way.”

With a report from CTV Montreal Derek Conlon