While the water levels of the Ottawa River are creeping back to normal, those by the shore are not out of the woods yet.
Many folks who have been hit by flooding are still waiting on insurance companies to process their claims before starting the hard process of cleaning up the mess that Mother Nature left behind.
To make matters worse, many of these same people have a literal mountain of sandbags that need to be disposed of. To top it off, many residents are wondering how to go about that.
The Norway Bay Facebook page featured a discussion about whether or not the sand in the bags can be spread on the beach.
But these issues are small potatoes when examined in comparison to the larger questions looming for these homeowners.
One of the most pressing questions: Will they be able to stay?
This is the second time in three years that the region has been hit with record flooding and many are wondering if this will be the new normal going forward.
Understandably, residents don’t want to leave. In many cases, their properties have been in their families for generations. Walking away from something with such strong historical ties can be especially difficult.
On the larger scale, municipal and provincial governments are also in the process of dealing with headaches associated with the floods.
In the Municipality of Pontiac, business tax rates skyrocketed this year and one of the main reasons was the fact that the municipality lost nearly 30 ratepayers because of the 2017 floods.
If more ratepayers leave the municipality after the latest round of flooding, where will those tax dollars be made up?
To compound matters, the municipality is also on the hook for expensive construction projects – many of which are geared towards mitigating the effects of floods related to climate change.
Look no further than the four-lane section of Hwy. 148 which is currently torn up to make way for massive culverts.
If municipalities are expected to shoulder the costs associated with climate change and flooding with fewer taxpayers, the taxpayers that remain may have to pay more.
Imagine those who decide to persevere in a flood prone area – dealing with insurance companies and an unliveable home – and then being asked to boost their property tax contributions.
While stories have abounded of residents coming together in tough times, now is not the time to admire a job well done.
Many people may be breathing a sigh of relief as the Ottawa River goes back down, but keep in mind, much of the heavy lifting is still to come.
Chris Lowrey
