Hundreds of residents in Ottawa's west end spent Thursday morning without power and waiting for flooded basements to be emptied after Canada Day's torrential storms. Cleanup crews pushed sewer water out of lobbies at the hardest-hit properties, including two high-rise apartment buildings on McEwen Avenue.
High-rises without power and elevators
Residents at the bottom of McEwen Avenue said they were without air conditioning and working elevators as the week's heat wave continued. Environment Canada maintained an orange-level heat warning for the capital and area Thursday, with maximum temperatures expected to hit 35 C. At 11 a.m., the weather agency issued a severe thunderstorm watch, warning of possible wind gusts near 100 km/h, heavy rain exceeding 30 mm, and up to ping-pong ball-sized hail.
Much of McEwen Avenue, a short, low-lying street a few hundred metres from the Ottawa River, flooded Wednesday after the street's sewers backed up. Witnesses said sewer covers popped and water gushed, submerging cars parked in the street's cul-de-sac so that their tires couldn't be seen.
Residents describe the scene
Some residents of the Park West, a 24-storey apartment building at 30 McEwen Ave., sat in their waterlogged lobby as a cleanup crew pushed water out of the building. They wondered if their building would be evacuated. John Kola, facilities manager for the building's owner, Saickley Enterprises, said the building's basement, which houses its main electrical vault, was flooded. Kola was waiting for a crew to drain the basement.
Resident Christina Grosskleg said she expected to be without power for at least a few days. Another resident, Jacog Hutchingame, said his insurance would cover the cost of staying elsewhere if needed. He heard a loud bang last night, after which his building and others nearby lost power. Five fire trucks attended the scene, he added.
Historical flooding and shelter impact
Similar flooding hit 30 McEwen Ave. more than 30 years ago, in 1992. Following a heavy rain, a backed-up storm sewer flooded the basement and caused a power failure. Then, about 400 residents had to leave their homes for several days.
At Cornerstone Housing for Women's emergency shelter in Ottawa's west end, staff confined residents to their rooms as crews cleaned up damage from floodwater that seeped through the building Wednesday afternoon. “It flooded the middle of our kitchen area where we have our dining space where people eat or just connect,” said Amber Bramer, Cornerstone's director of development and communications. “At the bottom of our stairs, there was a big pool of water.” Staff asked residents to remain upstairs after several people slipped while walking through the water. City crews arrived later in the evening to help remove standing water, while the shelter also temporarily lost power and its elevator stopped working.
