French River braces for more flood water

The next few days will be critical for the Municipality of French River as it waits to see if more water will make its way down the watershed from Lake Nipissing.

For some, like Dry Pine Bay resident Bob Ewles, the water is already too much. His boathouse, which has stood for decades, is taking on water for the third time in the past decade. It is currently dealing with two to three feet of river swell.

“We love the place, we love the area and we love people, but we’re not too impressed with the water levels,” Ewles said.

“It seems like for the past four or five years now, the water has been up and down, fluctuating, and this will be the third year we’ve had flooding in the boathouse.”

Ewles, 81, told CTV News that he and his wife do not have flood insurance. Each time, they have made repairs themselves.

The retired police officer, who has called Alban and the municipality home for nearly a decade, needs back surgery. It is unclear who will help him if he needs to sandbag.

“We’ve had what seems like a couple of disasters here because of the trees, the flooding. You know, the first time it happened, they said it was a 100-year thing, and then I didn’t pay too much attention. I wasn’t too mad about it, but now it seems like every other year we’re having flooding,” he said.

When it comes to sandbagging, Ewles said he will just have to grin and bear it.

“I’m one of those guys that says if I have to do it, I have to do it, and I get it done. I don’t have any kids to rely on and all my friends are down south,” he said. “

I have some great friends here, but they’re all busy working and doing jobs and things like that. So, me and the wife are pretty much by ourselves."

The municipality has put out a call for volunteers, and seniors like Ewles are not alone. Some estimates put the local senior population at about 70 per cent.

Mayor Gisèle Pageau issued a call for volunteers on Saturday, hoping to fill 1,500 sandbags. Her declaration of a state of emergency has also allowed provincial help, including North Shore Search and Rescue, to volunteer.

“Worst-case scenario for French River is that we get another rain event like we had last week or the week before, and that would be catastrophic at this point because the snow has melted in the upper watershed and is making its way here,” Pageau said.

“If we can hold off any accumulation of rain, that would be amazing and sunshine would be the best-case scenario.”

Pageau said she hopes sunshine will help dry out the natural saturation in the ground to keep water levels at bay. She is also asking seasonal homeowners to check on their properties.

“Everyone in the watershed is suffering. Even North Bay, they’re taking their fair share of a beating and through the watershed group that we work with, the dam operators have been absolutely amazing to ensure French River is not the only one suffering. So, we work well together,” she said.

Some on social media have reported a decrease in water levels in some areas, but the mayor warned residents not to be overly confident. More water is coming and the emergency could last a while.

“Residents are having a tough time. Some of the homes we can’t save, and people have evacuated, and they’ll deal with their insurance once this is over,” Pageau said.

“People like the French River Supply Post are suffering extremely because they’re at the end of the watershed, but we’re keeping in touch with him on a regular basis to let him know what’s happening.”

“We have at least another 10 days of watching and managing the watersheds. The water will go up again,” said Pageau.

“The little bit of water you lost over the last week is coming back and what we’re hoping is it’s not more.”

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