Sandbaggers needed as water levels on Ottawa River rise, councillor says

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Constance Bay residents on high alert for flooding

Hundreds of properties face flood damage in Gatineau

Flooding in West Quebec, parts of Ottawa

State of emergency in Fort Coulonge, Que.

Flood waters on Ottawa River expected to stabilize

Water levels on the Ottawa River rose Tuesday, according to the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the level on the river was up 3 centimetres compared to Monday at Lake Deschenes at Britannia and up 6 cm at the Hull Marina.

The board is forecasting water levels to start stabilizing later today between Gatineau-Hull and Carillion, near Hawkesbury.

Peak level estimates on Monday were close to 2023 peak levels, according to the river conditions forecast issued Monday afternoon.

In rural west Ottawa, the local councillor says several residents have been affected.

“This morning, I’ve done a quick drive through Constance Bay… and I have seen people already out sandbagging,” West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly told CTV Your Morning Ottawa on Tuesday.

“The Enbridge crew was out yesterday. It’s my understanding that a few people have had their gas shut off. Multiple people are reporting that their wells and septic systems are now compromised. So, definitely over the last couple of days, we’ve seen an increase in the level of needs and the impact on the community.”

Kelly said many people volunteered to fill sandbags over the weekend, but now that it’s into the work week, that number has dropped.

“Weekdays are tougher for volunteers to get out. So, we do have a shortage of people right now filling sandbags, and that is the biggest need, getting bags filled and transported off to strategic locations so people can use them at their home,” he said.

The City of Ottawa is helping to fill sandbags, but Kelly said the community is what will help people through this year’s flooding.

“It is really a community and a volunteer effort that’s going to be getting people through this. And we are seeing that. We are seeing people come out and support each other, which is always nice to see during a difficult time.”

For people living along the Ottawa River in Constance Bay, it’s a stressful time.

“Right now, it’s survival. You can look around and you see houses surrounded by sandbags,” said Erika Schom.

“You take a deep breath and then you realize you’re a little stressed.”

Public Information Officer with West Carleton Disaster Relief, Allan Joyner, says Constance Bay could see another seven to ten centimeters increase to water levels before things stabilize this week.

“Because of the length of the river and the amount of snow that is still way up the watershed, that there will be a second pulse, as there is every year, within about eight to ten days, which will probably bring us back to around similar levels,” he said.

“Hopefully lower, but it could be higher. It just depends on weather and how much water comes down.”

Joyner says West Carleton Disaster Relief is hard at work, coordinating with the city to support the community, and helping those in need.

“We keep track of, through a group of block captains, what’s happening in the various parts of the whole area along here and we identify vulnerable that need help that can’t afford to get it for themselves,” he said.

“The city will supply porta potties, sand piles where we recommend. All that kind of stuff.”

For some living in the area like Helen Malacrida, the current surge of floodwater remains manageable for now.

“If the levels stay the way they are, which is always a worry, we’re doing okay here in our spot. Lots of other people in our neighbourhood are not doing nearly as well,” she said.

“Every year you’re on edge. Is this going to be another big year? Is this going to be a year that we can relax? So, it’s that stress no matter how bad it gets.”

The City of Ottawa provides sand and sandbags to residents who require them at the following locations:

• 1125 Tweddle Road
• Leo Lane at East Shore Road
• Armstrong Road between Boise Lane and Phillip Road
• 262 Len Purcell Drive (Constance Bay Community Centre)
• Greenland Road at Armitage Avenue
• 128 Moorhead Drive
• Lighthouse Lane at Loggers Way
• 2145 Roger Stevens Drive
• 4127 John Shaw Road
• Barry Mullen Park parking lot at Grandview Road
• End of Jamieson Street
• End of Rowatt Street
• Belltown Dome, 2915 Haughton Avenue
• 29 Hurdman Road
• 911 Industrial Avenue

Gatineau

A flood victims relief centre is open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Centre sportif de Gatineau at 850 boul. de la Gappe. The City of Gatineau says it will be open daily during those hours but the schedule may be reassessed as needed.

“Anyone needing to avail themselves of the services should report to the sport centre’s reception desk. Red Cross representatives will assess their needs and address them, or simply register them as flood victims. Proof of residence will be required,” the city says.

As of Monday evening, the city said approximately 260 properties are at risk of flooding. Firefighters have been going door to door, urging residents to prepare.

Sandbags are available at the following locations:

• Parc Louis-Roy (5 rue Louis-Roy, Aylmer)
• Parc du Lac-Beauchamp (745 boul. Maloney-Est, Gatineau)
• Parc Jack-Eyamie (40 rue du Bassin, Masson-Angers)
• Parking lot of Saint-Jean-de-Brébeouf Community Centre (70 rue Moreau, Gatineau)

Fort Coulonge

Some reprieve has been felt in Fort Coulonge, Que., the mayor said on Tuesday.

“This morning, actually, we’re pretty happy that the Ottawa River seems to have stabilized for the last four hours, and the Coulonge River actually have been down through the night like about two and a half centimetres,” Mayor Pierre Cyr told CTV Your Morning Ottawa.

The municipality in western Quebec declared a state of emergency due to the expected impact.

“Right now, today, this is like 30 centimetres above the record high of 2019, so that’s why we were really worried, because the water raised about seven foot over the last week here,” Cyr said. “The road basically along just on the edge of the river is high enough, it protects the village. But it won’t be good for an eight-foot raising of a level of the water. That would have brought all the water from the rivers inside the village where there’s some lower areas and would have caused a lot of damage, and the sewage system would have been just not working anymore because of the amount of water coming into it.”

Cyr said officials will be watching water levels closely to see if levels truly stabilize before lifting the state of emergency.

Pembroke

Levels were down slightly in Pembroke and at the Cheneaux Generating Station, the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board says.

In Pembroke, levels were down 8 cm to 112.95m, while levels dropped 3 cm at Cheneaux.

At Chats Lake at Arnprior, water levels rose 4 cm.

The board expects levels downstream of Pembroke to peak Tuesday or Wednesday, however, there is a risk of further increases in levels over the coming weeks from Mattawa to Lake Coulonge because of the high snowpack remaining in the north.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Austin Lee

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