Ottawa couple scrambling to clear storm debris with deadline fast approaching

This coming Friday marks the deadline for the city to pickup debris put to the curb from last month's powerful storm, but one West Carleton family says that’s not enough time.

Suzanne Lafontaine, 74, and Thomas Scott, 80, have been working non-stop to clear their 101-acre farm of fallen trees since the May 21 storm.

“I don’t want the trees to control me,” says Lafontaine. “I want to control the trees.”

But in order to get it all off their property, they need to have it all ready to go by this Friday. Lafontaine says there’s just too much debris and will never get it done in time.

“Why I am upset is because of the time limit on putting the stuff out,” says Lafontaine. “If they don’t extend it we have to cut four feet long, put it out like regular yard waste, and bundle it up. Or use waste bags.”

Their son has been helping clear a lot of the mess, but some trees are just too dangerous to tackle themselves.

“That really shocked us. Because we were expecting two months at least,” says Scott. “Right now we’ve got it half done maybe. Except the big trees that we can’t handle ourselves.”

Thomas Scott clearing storm debris on Monday, June 20, 2022. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

The city says the deadline is just for automatic pickup. Those with remaining debris can still call for help after the 24th.

“We want to encourage people who have debris to put it by the side of the road between now and June 24,” says Coun. Eli El-Chantiry. “If you haven’t cleaned up what you need to clean up by the 24th, you can call 311 and make arrangements to send a special vehicle to clean up the debris.”

 As for Lafontaine and Scott, they still have a lot of work to do. The good news is, getting it picked up after Friday is just a phone call away.

 “It has been a lot of work,” says Scott. “If we were not retired, we just couldn’t do it.”