Talented carpenters, arborists, cooks, drivers, therapists and babysitters are offering their services and supplies to those affected by the tornadoes that struck the Ottawa-Gatineau region on Sept. 21.
Eli El-Chantiry, the city councillor for the Dunrobin area, said it was a pleasant surprise Monday morning when about 70 volunteers showed up at the West Carleton Secondary School to help out.
Contractors and organized groups — including a Mennonite crew from Southern Ontario — arrived at the emergency shelter centre with hammers, air compressors and chain saws to see if they could be put to work.
Organizers are attempting to efficiently co-ordinate all this help.
« You don’t want to turn volunteers away, but we can’t just let anyone in at that time, » said El-Chantiry. « It’s still a restricted area at the time being.
« I want to thank the people who (are) coming to help. But please, we can’t take everybody at this time today. Check in first. »
Once they check in, volunteers will be given « green passes » to allow them to travel inside neighbourhoods currently barricaded and monitored by police.
Ron Wilson, a local contractor, arrived Monday morning and was matched with a resident who planned to put him and his crew to work.
Contractor Ron Wilson volunteers his services to residents who have houses damaged by the tornado on Sept. 21. (Krystalle Ramlakhan, CBC)
« We understand from the homeowner it’s sheeting the roof with tarps and put some plywood on some windows that are broken, just generally going over to see what’s wrong, » said Wilson.
Social media coordination
The Dunrobin Disaster Assistance Group put a call out to volunteers on their Facebook page to post their « availability, skills and the equipment you can bring. »
The more than 150 posts to the site on Monday afternoon included offers of stress management and counselling services, general labour, deliveries, equipment, food and clothing.
Another area of the city looking for help is Arlington Woods, in the Greenbank/Craig Henry area. It was hit by a second tornado that touched down Friday evening.
Chainsaws and food
The president of the local community association, Sean Devine, put out in his own request on Twitter.
« We need people with chain saws and then just hands to bring stuff out, » Devine said in an interview with CBC. « A lot of people are already bringing food and sometimes we have too much of that. That said, if I get 100 volunteers tomorrow, we will need food. »
Eleven food banks in the city of Ottawa are running short, having lost much of their perishable food over the weekend due to the power outage.
Now that electricity has been restored in most areas of the city, those food banks will be replenishing supplies. They’re asking for cash donations.
On Monday morning, when most schools were closed in Ottawa, teacher Chantale Hart and her son Jacob Robinson arrived at West Carleton Secondary School with some basic supplies.
« We brought coffees, warm socks, some water, just to try to help out a little bit. I think it was a good lesson for the kids too. Being pulled out of school, it’s not a day off, » said Hart.
Chantale Hart and her son Jacob Robinson drop off basic supplies to West Carleton Secondary School. (Krystalle Ramlakhan, CBC)