Constance Bay Residents Battle Rising Ottawa River

0:00Residents in Constance Bay are racing to stack sandbags against rising Ottawa River Waters, grabbing them from the local community center multiple times a day. Day fit Simons, a long time homeowner there, picked up 30 more Saturday morning and placed them along the beach to guard his retaining wall. Water levels keep climbing, with a peak hitting around midnight Sunday. Fifth Simons has 296 bags filled so far, expecting to add plenty more as a precaution. It's turning into a community bonding ritual, with neighbors pitching in despite the stress. Jeff Thompson, living nearby since 1998, says his house to tire up, you climb four stairs to the side door and only got 18. Inches in the crawl space during the worst of 2019, flooding picked up after 2017, linked to this winters over 200 centimeters of snow, heavy rain, and shifting climate patterns. Folks worry, wind could kick up 16-inch waves, spiking levels even more.

1:00That uncertainty ties the community in knots, wondering if it'll hit again year after year. For retirees like the 73-year-old fit Simons, who dodged major damage before, but saw foundation cracks, it raises tough questions about, sticking around long term. That's your Canada News Today update, AI-powered and always on.