Baie-D’Urfe

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

Thirty-six hours. That is the crucial period of time in which a clean-up following a flood in a home needs to take place.

While hundreds are on the phone trying to get hold of their insurance companies, the dire needs to clean up and dry up as quickly as possible is the priority.

In the West Island, the community is known for its sense of comradery between neighbours. Friday evening, it turned into a bee hive of activities either cleaning up their own home, the home of a neighbour or checking up on the homes of those who were away on vacation.

In Baie-D’Urfe, one family told The Suburban that the neighbours rushed over to help clean up their basement. This involved getting as much furniture and objects out of the way onto a higher floor, pumping out water and cleaning. “The following day, the Baie D’Urfé rescue team came to check on us. We are very blessed,” the family reported.

Meanwhile in Kirkland, Kevin Groleau, the owner of a local dessert shop, was running around from home to home of customers, friends and neighbours trying to assist in the clearing out and cleaning up process which varies from home to home. “I got home at 2 a.m., there was just so much to do and there is still so much to be done. I’m going to head back ‘out there’ again today,” Groleau told The Suburban on Saturday morning.

In Pierrefonds-Roxboro, city councillor Benoit Langevin made it his priority to serve the elderly, pregnant women and persons with mobility issues. He posted on his e-mail address on his social media page reaching out to those who needed help. “Some of my neighbours were my babysitters and some of them my teachers. What matters to me is that we should lead by example. As a community, we are here to help one another,” Langevin said to The Suburban. n