More than a week after heavy rain flooded homes across Ottawa on Canada Day, the cleanup is moving forward in some of the hardest-hit neighbourhoods, but for many residents, the recovery is far from over.
In some areas, piles of damaged furniture, flooring and belongings that lined the streets earlier this week have been cleared.
But inside those flooded homes, the restoration work is ongoing, while some homeowners are still waiting for it to begin.
In Crystal Beach, 87-year-old Ann Frampton and her 92-year-old husband Dick say they’re still waiting to hear back from their insurance company so they can start the restoration work.
“There’s so many people that have had this issue they’re inundated,” said Frampton.
Fans are running in the basement, and a new water heater has been brought in, but the space must be cleared out before the real work can move forward.
Downstairs, debris sits untouched, including years of memories that have to be thrown out.
“Getting rid of that is the hardest part, but the rest of it, the food, it has to go,” said Frampton.
Restoration companies say time is critical. The longer the material sits, the greater the risk of mould and further damage.
With so many homes hit all at once, staff at Paul Davis Ottawa say it’s all hands on deck.
“We took in, I want to say, probably thousands of calls, and we’ve been triaging and assigning since,” said general manager, Jules Lauzon.
“We’ve brought in a lot of extra equipment, we’ve almost tripled our equipment count, and we’ve brought in temporary workers so we’re trying to get through that.”
But as people wait, there’s growing concern some are taking cleanup into their own hands and in older homes that can be dangerous.
Experts say before tearing out walls or flooring, materials may need to be tested for hazards like asbestos.
“Before we do any work, we have to make sure it’s safe; it’s part of our obligation to carriers. So, we are making sure that’s happening,” said Lauzon.
“Anyone who doesn’t have asbestos containing materials in their home can get the demolition started a little sooner just because we have to wait for the tests to come back and it takes about 24 to 48 hours. So, there is a concern for people doing demolition themselves.”
The city says the first pass of its special storm debris collection is now complete and a second round of storm waste collection will begin on Monday, in addition to regular pickup.
