Flood victims band together to demand action in Sarnia, Ont.
Eleven days after storm and wastewater flooded the home of Stephanie Lammers debris is still piled by her curb. “I’m still living in a wet basement,” she tells CTV London.
Lammers is one of the hundreds of Sarnia residents still cleaning up from a severe rain event on Aug. 4.
But for most, including David Wood, it is far from the first time. He was in his basement as water poured in. “All of a sudden it starts coming up the floor drain. And it really starts coming!”
Within minutes Wood says over a foot of water (14 inches/36 cm) filled his basement. Suddenly, he says, his couch was floating while his freezer was setting sail.
“I discovered your freezer will float, and it’s a lousy boat,” he said.
David Wood stands in the basement of his flood damage home on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. (Sean Irvine/CTV London)
Tired of being in the ‘same boat, Wood has started a petition and organized a meeting of residents this week.
He says his neighbours want the city to do more immediately to prevent a known flooding issue in the Coronation Park area. “A survey really needs to be done of all the houses, and all the plumbing to find out where the water going.”
On Friday, the city agreed to expand a program to look at areas where stormwater may be mixing with sanitary sewers.
Stephanie Lammers stands in front of a pile of carpet removed from the flood damaged basement of her home on Aug. 15, 2022. (Sean Irvine/CTV London)
But even if identified, a release concedes it will likely take years to develop a plan to invest in new infrastructure.
That’s too long for Stephanie Lammers. She already paid to flood-proof her basement, but still, the water gets in.
“Considering it’s a consistent issue, I’d say it’s a city issue," she says.
It's an issue Wood wants to fix. And to be sure he can, he has made a decision. “I registered to run for city council this morning,” he revealed.
The public meeting for flood-impacted residents will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Community of Christ Church at 1104 Leckie Drive in Sarnia.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.