Yvan Cardinal and Nancy Limoges are particularly motivated to keep floodwaters out of their Roxboro home — it's up for sale.
In fact, they've accepted an offer for their four-bedroom bungalow on 5th Avenue, a street that's badly flooded.
But it hasn't been finalized, so the buyers can still back out.
"The stress is to keep the house intact the most that we can, but anything still can happen," Limoges said, pumps humming away in the background.
As far as she knows, the buyers are still interested. Limoges said they were actually impressed by the efforts she, Cardinal and about a dozen of their friends and family have undertaken to protect the house.
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The couple created a sandbag wall to keep floodwater out of their home. (Salimah Shivji/CBC)
'We're so tired'
Their home is like a beehive, she says, with helpers constantly coming in and going out. They've even a devised a schedule to keep track of everyone's shifts.
And their work is paying off — so far there is only minimal damage from water that has seeped under the floorboards.
Friends have brought food and even done laundry for them, including one load made up entirely of Limoges's wet socks.
"At first we didn't see that we needed [the help], because the adrenaline is at the max. But when you stop, let's just say the body aches," she said.
Even so, the effort is taking its toll.
"We're so tired. I cry every day. It's hard," Cardinal said.
Yvan Cardinal and Nancy Limoges sit on the front porch of their Roxboro home with a friend. They are among the few homeowners in their neighbourhood who haven't left. (Salimah Shivji/CBC)
