Heroic efforts limits flood
damage to Farraline Place
by Ana Watts
Heroic efforts and ingenuity ensured all the residents and most of the infrastructure of Farraline Place came through the flood of 2008 relatively unscathed ––providing insurance and government flood assistance cover the repair and replacement of some vital infrastructure components.
“Beautifully situated overlooking the St. John River” (according to the promotional brochure), Farraline Place in Fredericton is a comfortable home away from home for seniors who appreciate the ambiance of a Victorian home and garden, the convenience of downtown living, the security of companionship and the integrity of independent living. Proximity to the river is usually a good thing, but in early May of this year it proved problematic. The river itself didn’t cross Queen Street and encroach on the property that is administered by the diocesan ACW, but the extraordinarily high water caused the city sewer system to back up into its basement.
Staff had already removed or elevated anything vulnerable to water in the basement and storage room –– stored air conditioners, food, freezers –– but it soon became apparent those precautions were insufficient.
Staff instituted a standing evacuation plan and all but four residents, complete with their medications in sealed plastic bags with instructions attached, were quickly placed with nearby friends and family. The four unable to be accommodated in that way were sent by the Red Cross to a residence on the UNB campus, where a long and unforgiving staircase proved too dangerous for residents in their 80s and 90s. A nearby hotel had its shortcomings as well, so eventually they found their way to Kaye Dingee’s comfortable home in Sunshine Gardens.
Mrs. Dingee is a new resident of Farraline Place. She was sad to move out of the home she had lived in for 43 years but enjoys her lovely room and the companionship she has at Farraline. New owners from Quebec were set to take possession of her home in June, but in early May her furniture was still in place and the utilities remained connected. It was her daughter (name) who suggested the house as a refuge. A flight of stairs to access the three bedrooms was gentle enough the three women of the group were able to manage it once a day, so meals and activities were planned with that restriction in mind. The one man in the group was unable to manage the stairs at all, but Red Cross supplied a bed for him so he was made comfortable on the ground floor.
Farraline Place staff members, including a cook, were dispatched to the Sunshine Garden home with the four seniors. Food was supplied from Farraline Place cupboards and freezers.
The freezers, however, were in great jeopardy from the rising tide of sewer water in the basement. Everything of value that could be removed form the basement was, but the freezers were too big and heavy to manage. Instead they were elevated as much as possible and an emergency measures official inscribed a high-water mark on them. If the water got above those marks, the freezers would have to be replaced.
In order to keep the water level down in the basement and the contents of the brimming freezers frozen, a constant source of electricity was essential. Farraline staff managed to rent the last two available generators in the city so the sump pumps and freezers continued to do their jobs. The sump pumps, however, were not up to the challenge. Water flooded into the basement faster than the pumps and the staff could take it out.
Board members, staff members and their families and friends rose to the challenge and set up a bucket brigade. During the day, 10 volunteers passed full buckets up the basement stairs and empty buckets back down at a great clip. At night, three Farraline staff members continued to bail out the basement as best they could while they remained in the cold, dark building to prevent vandalism.
Despite their best efforts and what they saw as success, the provincial electrical inspector eventually condemned the freezers and the furnaces. Administrator Judy O’Donnell immediately ordered two new freezers and no frozen food was lost.
The motor and cable (which had recently been replaced) of the ancient and unique Farraline Place elevator were also ruined and had to be rebuilt. Parts were not easily accessible so it took some time to get the machine back up and running. In the meantime, the flood crisis passed and the residents returned. Those with rooms above the first floor had their meals delivered so they did not have to negotiate stairs.
Electrical, plumbing, heating and elevator repairs, professional clean-up from Service Master, new freezers, generator rentals, basement and food storage area repair and refurbishment, overtime expenses and other incidental flood-related costs total nearly $70,000. Insurance would be a godsend, but no matter what happens, Farraline Place remains the warm and welcoming place it has always been and will endure.
