I was at the spot where the Elbow meets the Bow, this meeting of the rivers after the floods had receded. It was apparent where the flood had been with dead grass making a horizontal line along the grass bank. Also the trees along the river’s edge sported new decorations of debris, both manmade and natural.
The Dog Walkers were about, after all Fido still needs to pee and whatever else those dogs do on their walk.
I met a middle aged woman along the path named Susan who was from the neighborhood. We exchanged our stories from the flood. I had a nephew and niece who just moved to High River. They were so happy to live in a small community again after leaving the Chestermere area. Little did they know that they would later have to leave town at a moment’s notice on a huge manure spreader having to abandon everything including their dogs in their own efforts to be safe. Rescuing their own pups later would require an 8 hour ordeal in getting back to their townhouse, loading up the hounds and getting safely out of town. This would only be a bump along the way to the rebuilding of their lives.
Susan pointed out the areas along the path where the river had risen so high that it would have been over a person’s head. Standing there it was hard to imagine, even so soon after all the pictures and eye witness accounts that came throughout the disaster.
In some ways Susan was one of the lucky ones, and in other ways not. Her house stayed dry while neighbors were not so fortunate. She also had time to evacuate which was a godsend because she had to get out her mother who was wheelchair bound as well as a handicapped brother. The notice to leave came at 5 pm on Thursday night and by 9 the residents were expected to be out.
If this wasn’t trying enough, there was her daughter Danielle who lived in their property across the river in Sunnyside. For Danielle the call to evacuate wasn’t so gracious. As she was talking to her mother she looked out to see the water flow coming down her street. Susan was in no situation to be of help to her with her hands already full.
Danielle left home with a backpack on her back, her bearded dragon in a plastic container and her cat tucked under her arm. She then hiked up the hill below Crescent Heights. One can only imagine the terror and shock she must have felt leaving home in such a state with water nipping at her heels and then standing on the hill watching the river take away her home.
When it was time to survey the damage she couldn’t return, it was too upsetting for her. Mother Susan came to the house to see the couch floating in the living room. She said the water was up to here, pointing at her knee.
Susan went on to tell about the next step which was going to Mount Royal to see what grants may be available for homeowners. She said, “I’ve paid house insurance since I was 25 and never made a claim. Once I was hit and had a claim through my vehicle insurance but that’s all. Now I’m 57 and I’m wondering why I even had it. The companies seem to have drawn a straight line.”
As we parted company she wished me a good day and wished my nephew and niece from High River the best. It was sunny and I was going down to check out the July 1 festivities planned in my own community where for a few hours maybe we could forget about the turmoil that had rained down upon us.
Another stop along the way was to survey the activity down at the Stampede Grounds. Along the way the shops windows were decorated with the usual Cowboy Graffiti enticing us to join in the celebration. The grounds were humming with a beehive of activity from tents being erected in the dry areas to the hustle and bustle of organized chaos happening down by the racetrack. There the heavy equipment operators were in full force moving earth in restoration mode. Below me from my vantage spot on Scotsman Hill the Elbow still rushed by high with evidence of the prior assault along its banks. Many trees, some old, and some younger were uprooted and mangled. There will be a huge need for clean-up along our river valleys.
With no doubt this will happen as evidenced by the spirit of our people. When there is a job to be done, Calgary and areas “Get up and Get Going” attitude will prevail. All that we love, we can rebuild.
