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| Sandbagging in Britannia Village |
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| Pedestrian pathway west of the Ron Kolbus Centre closed due to flooding |
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| Sir John A MacDonald underpass near Lincoln Fields flooded out |
The Ottawa River may have peaked, but it’s going to be sometime before things get back to normal in Canada’s capital city.
Bike paths remain flooded out in many parts of the city and many parks and recreation areas are still under water.
The Chaudière Bridge – which normally sees thousands of vehicles cross it on an average day, remains closed until inspectors can assess whether or not is sustained any damage as a result of the massive amount of water that poured under it.
At Britannia, in the west end of Ottawa, water was flowing at a rate of 5,381 cubic metres per second on May 6; down from 5,977 cubic metres per second on May 1, according to the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board.
At least 155 households in the affected area have evacuated their homes. It’s not known how many have returned.
More than 15,000 volunteers helped fill 1.5 million sandbags around the region to try to keep flooding to a minimum. They will be needed again once the water has completed receded.
“The City is developing a plan for the safe disposal of sandbags, hazardous waste, appliances and electronic waste and will be sharing the details in the days to come,” said a spokesperson with the City of Ottawa in an email interview. “As was done for the 2017 flood, the City will collect sandbags and dispose of them appropriately.”