Internal Highlight: When Ottawa Needed Help, Our People Responded

The Story of ARS’s Canada Day Flood Response

In the world of emergency restoration, no two days are the same, and no two challenges are alike. When unprecedented flooding struck Ottawa on Canada Day, our team demonstrated the true power of teamwork, accountability, and compassion. Facing long days, changing priorities, and extended time away from home, the ARS Responds Canada team turned adversity into success, showcasing our unwavering commitment to serving the community when it was needed most.

The Initial Emergency and Response

On July 1, an intense storm moved across Ottawa and overwhelmed drainage systems with extraordinary speed. Water pooled across roadways, climbed over curbs, and entered basements, underground parking areas, elevator shafts, and electrical rooms. In less than two hours, approximately 118 millimetres of rain fell in parts of the city, with preliminary totals reaching 167 millimetres in Britannia.

The scale of the event was staggering: at 167 millimetres, every square metre of exposed surface received 167 litres of water. Across a 2,000-square-foot area, that is roughly 31,000 litres in only a few hours. By mid-July, more than 6,000 basement floods had been reported and the City had collected approximately 2,500 tonnes of storm-related debris.

Behind those numbers were families, residents, and businesses facing damaged living spaces, lost possessions, disrupted operations, and an immediate need for qualified emergency-response capacity.

Flooding in Ottawa

Challenges Faced and Overcoming Them

The Ottawa response required continuous problem-solving. Assignments changed as new calls were received and site conditions became better understood. Crews coordinated people, equipment, and priorities across multiple properties while maintaining documentation, communicating with stakeholders, and adapting to evolving conditions. Over 100 files were received, and the number of assignments continues to grow throughout the response.

This catastrophic event presented several significant hurdles:

• Extended Demands & Time Away: Many employees were away from their families for an extended period and worked sustained rotations from hotels.

  
  

• Long Hours: At the height of the response, some workdays exceeded 16 hours—an indication of the urgency, workload, and pressure carried by the team.

  
  

• Complex On-Site Conditions: Despite the demands, employees remained focused on safety, technical standards, and the people standing in front of them.

  
  

The Role of Teamwork in Success

Collaboration across every layer of the organization was crucial. Behind the field crews, dispatch, project management, coordination, warehouse, logistics, administration, and leadership teams worked continuously to keep the operation moving.

The response succeeded because the organization operated as one team, ensuring equipment was routed where needed, logistics were adapted seamlessly, and communication remained clear throughout the response.

What We Accomplished Together

• Rapid Mobilization: Deployed employees, vehicles, equipment, and additional subtrade capacity as one coordinated ARS team.

  
  

• Property Stabilization: Reached affected properties, reduced further damage, and established conditions for drying and recovery.

  
  

• Disciplined Execution: Managed complex site conditions while maintaining documentation, stakeholder communication, and technical focus.

  
  

• Customer Support: Helped residents and property stakeholders understand the mitigation process and the next steps toward restoration.

Garbage after the emergency response

Recognizing Key Contributions

A special thank you to the following individuals for their dedication during this emergency response:

Holleigh, Ray, Shourya, Armando, Tristan, Intiaz, Evelyn, Wilmer, Katie, Nina, Tania and Sabrina.

We extend our thanks to the technicians, project managers, coordinators, dispatchers, warehouse staff, administrators, leaders, and subtrade partners who contributed to this emergency response. Your commitment, flexibility, and professionalism were greatly appreciated.

One Word to Describe the Project

Resilience. From 16-hour workdays to extended rotations away from home, this response demanded unwavering resilience and dedication.

The response reflected our values through action: service when the community needed it, accountability under pressure, integrity in how the work was completed, teamwork across the organization, and compassion for people experiencing significant loss.

When Ottawa needed help, ARS Responds Canada stepped up—and our people made all the difference