Volunteers travel to northern Ont. community to help as flood danger persists
Water has flooded three roads in the French River area and five homes are surrounded by water, as persistent spring rain continues to saturate the ground.
But the municipality is getting some much-needed help: 12 volunteers with Team Rubicon a national based disaster response organization, were sand bagging around a home on Brousseau Road on Wednesday to try and prevent flooding.
Team Rubicon is made up of men and women with military and first-responder experience, as well as civilian volunteers who step in when disaster is looming.
“We assist federal provincial and local governments during disaster operations and work with emergency management centres and other departments throughout different provincial governments,” said Jay McArthur, a volunteer with Team Rubicon.
The sandbags weigh 40 pound each and the volunteers, along with municipal employees, have been filling and then piling them around homes to protect them.
“This is what we love to do in the military -- we always answer the call to help,” said McArthur.
“Our job is to go out and help people that need it. We have been well-received from the homeowners that we have helped so far and you can see the sense of relief on their faces while we are there helping them berm up around their houses.”
The local fire department said it asked for help from the Provincial Emergency Management Centre and were put in touch with Team Rubicon.
Volunteers arrived Monday.
“They prevent any additional water coming through to the property and even wakes from boats that are boating around the river prevents damages to the homes the crawl space the basement to the residence,” said Roch Bigras, the chief of the French Fire Department.
French River Mayor Gisele Pageau said local residents are extremely grateful for the work of volunteers with Team Rubicon. (Alana Everson/CTV News)
Municipal officials said everyone in the French River area is hoping for dry weather and sunshine to lessen the threat of more flooding.
o Download our app to get local alerts on your device
o Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“We need some sun, we need some heat in order to dry the area,” said French River Mayor Gisele Pageau.
“If we have more precipitation or if on Friday, we find out that the dams have opened up slightly, (then) we will be able to take that extra water.”
Municipal officials said water levels are being monitored daily and that sandbagging is being done around any home at risk of flooding. Pageau said local residents are extremely grateful for the work of volunteers with Team Rubicon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Republicans join Trump's attacks on justice system and campaign of vengeance after guilty verdict
Embracing Donald Trump's strategy of blaming the U.S. justice system after his historic guilty verdict, Republicans in Congress are fervently enlisting themselves in his campaign of vengeance and political retribution in the GOP bid to reclaim the White House.
Daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt files court petition to remove father's last name
A daughter of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filed paperwork to legally remove "Pitt" from her name on the day she turned 18.
Ex-husband charged with murder in death of Lumby, B.C., woman
The ex-husband of Tatjana Stefanski – the woman whose disappearance and death set the small town of Lumby, B.C., on edge last month – has been charged with her murder.
U.K. ambassador to Mexico out after video allegedly shows him pointing a rifle at a colleague
The U.K.’s ambassador to Mexico has left his post after a video was posted on social media that purportedly shows him pointing an assault rifle at an embassy employee.
U.S. defense secretary says war with China neither imminent nor unavoidable, stressing need for talks
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart in avoiding "miscalculations and misunderstandings."
Oilers beat Stars, one win away from Stanley Cup berth
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two power-play goals as Edmonton smothered the Dallas Stars 3-1 to take a 3-2 lead in the NHL's Western Conference final on Friday.
Hostage families call for a ceasefire deal pushed by Biden. Israel says conditions must be met
Families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas called for all parties to immediately accept a proposal detailed by U.S. President Joe Biden to end the nearly eight-month-long war and bring their relatives home, but Israel's government said conditions for a ceasefire still must be met.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.