Moncton flood victims demand action from city council

Some residents in Moncton who suffered severe damages in a flood following last week's torrential rain want some help from the city.

The city blames the flooding on the province and CN, which hasn't upgraded several culverts along Jonathan Creek through the city.

But the residents say the city is also at fault and must take steps to stop floods from occurring in the future.

Daniel Richards and his wife Michelle say their house on Bishop Street, near Jonathan Creek in the Jones Lake area, was inspected by city engineers and had the most up-to-date back flow valves and all the other safety precautions recommended by the city.

But they say the back flow valve burst last week and they wound up with 30 centimetres of water in their basement.

The bill for damages is about $100,000, they said.

Michelle Richards says it's not only CN and the province's fault for not upgrading the culverts to handle increased water flows in Jonathan Creek.

"We don't want that type of answer," she said. "We don't want to hear anything like that."

Richards says the city also affected the flow of Jonathan Creek by building Wheeler Boulevard, an industrial park and new neighbourhoods in the north end.

She's calling for the city to come up with a plan by the spring to put and end to the constant flooding.

The Richards appeared before council in mud-stained jeans, having spent all their time since the flooding trying to clean up their home.

"I don't usually wear dirty clothes like this and spend a full day knee deep in dirt," said Daniel Richards.

"We're supposed to be putting up Christmas, not digging out garbage from our house."

Coun. Daniel Bourgeois says the flooding in several neighbourhoods could have been prevented if the city had priorities other than the proposed $107-million downtown entertainment centre.

Bourgeois says there have been seven major floods in the last 15 years due to poor infrastructure and the city should have made preventing flooded basements and homes a priority.

"Yes, there is not much council could have done because we can't force CN and the province to replace their culverts," said Bourgeois. "But council could have asked our MP Robert Goguen to find millions of dollars required to fix the CN culverts south of Main Street. Instead, federal funds are earmarked for other projects."

Bourgeois says the city is also trying to get provincial money for other priorities besides flood prevention.