Canada Floods

Levels 1 & 2 (grades 5 and up) Flood: Ottawa Valley and NB under water

Article page 3 Questions page 5 News Photo page 7 Crossword page 9 Maps page 10

Quiz page 14 breaking news MAY 2019

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Page 2 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019 breaking news water, water everywhere

Heavy rains and rivers swollen with By April 21, Quebec had fi ve major melted snow caused catastrophic fl oods in 51 communities. Th en Predicting the fl ooding in parts of New Brunswick, disaster struck. future Ontario, and Quebec last month. Breached Almost two million Canadian Rushing rivers households are at very high risk for A section of dike on the Lake Th e Saint John River in New of Two Mountains just west of fl ooding, but most don’t even know it. Brunswick fl ooded in April. When it Montreal broke. A wall of water and Why? Th anks to years of funding cuts, overfl owed, low-lying areas became debris rushed toward the suburb of the annual fl ood records that help lakes, and houses became islands. Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac. climatologists and municipalities Over 150 roads in were closed, “Th e water came pouring in just like a predict and mitigate fl ooding are including the Trans-Canada Highway, tsunami.... It wasn’t there and then it badly outdated. a crucial transportation artery. was there,” said one resident. “You had Th ese records oft en don’t refl ect the Over 16,000 properties were aff ected to get out fast.” impact of climate change, which adds and hundreds of people were Everyone escaped safely, but a third to the inaccuracy of fl ood patterns displaced. New Brunswick’s Director of the town was under water. In some and underestimates the size and of Emergency Measures estimated the places, it was two metres deep!. dimensions of fl oodplains. damage to be in the “tens of millions.” Quebec’s fl oods broke records set Floodwaters naturally fl ow into these Meanwhile, people along the Ottawa just two years ago. By the end of River from Canada’s capital to low-lying areas. But instead of using April, 6400 homes were fl ooded, with Montreal experienced devastating fl oodplains as a buff er to protect another 3500 surrounded by water. fl oods. A big snowpack and heavy the community, municipalities have More than 10,000 people were forced precipitation drove peak water levels allowed people to build there. from their homes, most of them from half a metre higher than records set Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac. Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, for example, in 2017. is built on a lakebed. Until dikes were To the rescue! In Ottawa, 1.5 million sandbags held built in the 1980s, the area was a cottage community that fl ooded regularly. back the water. Across the river, Th e fl ooding was so great that Ottawa, another 850,000 protected Gatineau. Montreal, and dozens of smaller municipalities declared a Definitions buffer: something that serves as a protective barrier snowpack: seasonal accumulation of slow-melting packed snow climatologist: a scientist who studies climate Tsunami: an unusually large sea wave produced by a seaquake dike: a long wall built to prevent fl ooding or undersea volcanic eruption Mitigate: reduce the severity or seriousness of something Page 3 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019 breaking news water, water everywhere state of emergency. Th ey simply didn’t Th e price tag is also rising for federal have the fi nancial resources and staff and provincial disaster relief programs Kashechewan waits to keep residents and property safe. that help people rebuild lost or Kashechewan First Nation was damaged homes and businesses. Th e Canadian Armed Forces assigned evacuated in early April. Th is remote 2000 soldiers to fi ll and stack sandbags An ounce of prevention Cree community is located in and evacuate fl ood-stricken areas. northeast Ontario at the mouth of the However, governments are rethinking Albany River where it empties into “We’ll be here as long as we’re the wisdom of paying people to James Bay. It has fl ooded every year for needed,” promised federal Defence rebuild in locations vulnerable 17 years. Th e 2500 residents were fl own Minister Harjit Sajjan. to future fl ooding. It simply isn’t out for their safety to communities like sustainable. Th e Canadian Red Cross stepped Timmins and Kapuskasing. in as well. It opened relief centres “Th e federal government and the “We’ve been displaced and dislocated throughout the aff ected areas, off ering provinces and municipalities need to every spring, and we lost a lot of our fl ood victims food, water, support, and think through very carefully how we cultural traditions and teaching,” said a safe place to sleep. prevent ourselves from simply doing Kashechewan Chief Leo Friday. Health hazards the same old thing over and over and over again, and expecting a diff erent Arthur Koosees, 13, has been evacuated As the water started to recede, the result,” said federal Public Safety every spring for his whole life. hard work of recovery began. Minister Ralph Goodale. “Th at’s all I’ve known,” he said. Cleaning and repairing damage is Quebec hopes to reduce the number Th e federal government relocated the a gargantuan task. Health Canada of repeat claims with new buyout community in 1957, moving it from cautioned that homes and wells incentives in fl ood-prone areas. Th e islands off Albany’s south shore to the could be contaminated with sewage province has capped compensation to current location, a known fl oodplain. and dangerous chemicals. It warned rebuild in a high-risk area at $100,000, For years, Kashechewan has asked the residents to drink bottled water, use but off ers up to $200,000 to move to government to move the community disinfectant, and wear masks, gloves, higher, drier locations. Th e reclaimed to higher ground. In 2017, the federal rubber boots and eye protection. land could then be converted to open and provincial governments fi nally Th ey were advised to dispose of wet space or parkland. signed an action plan. Two years later, drywall, insulation, carpets, and residents are still waiting. possessions to prevent mould. Th e New Brunswick government, where 70 percent of those who asked “We never know until the ice jams Paying the price for emergency relief last year got help, break whether this is the catastrophic Frequent fl ooding is Canada’s new is considering a similar policy. year that wipes out the community. normal. Our climate is warming at We are playing Russian roulette with “We’re not just going to keep hoping peoples’ lives,” said NDP MP Charlie twice the global average. Th is will lead for the best every year,” said Premier to higher annual rainfall, more intense Angus. “Everybody deserves to live in a Blaine Higgs. “We’re going to start safe community.” storms, and bigger, more frequent putting in a methodical path in order fl oods that linger longer and cause to minimize the risk to life and limb Derek Fox, Deputy Grand Chief of greater damage. and property. It won’t be just kind Nishnawbe Aski Nation said, “You see Who is paying the price for these of going forward, blindly repairing. in Ottawa, the response is immediate. fl oods? Insurance claims for the fi rst It’s about asking how we make this Th ey pretty much call in the army to four months of 2019 are expected to disaster-proof.” J come save everyone,” he said. reach $1 billion, compared to $2 billion “If Kashechewan were non-Native, for all of 2018. we’d have action already.”

Definitions gargantuan: huge recede: ebb or drain away incentive: something that encourages a person to do something State of emergency: a temporary system of rules to deal with sewage: water and waste fl ushed down drains and toilets an extremely dangerous or diffi cult situation Page 4 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019 breaking news water, water everywhere ON THE LINES Answer the following in complete sentences: 1. Where is Kashechewan located?

2. What happened to the residents of this community in early April?

3. Why this is such a regular event in this remote community? Explain.

4. Name the large river in New Brunswick that recently overfl owed its banks.

5. Describe what happened in many areas near the river.

6. Which other large river on the Ontario-Quebec border also overfl owed?

7. Describe the damage that occurred in this region, and explain why Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac was fl ooded.

8. What did many fl ooded communities declare because of the fl ooding? Why did they do this?

9. What type of assistance did fl ood victims receive?

10. List at least three warnings issued to returning residents by Health Canada.

11. Explain why scientists believe these types of disasters will increase in the future.

Page 5 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019 breaking news water, water everywhere BETWEEN THE LINES

As a member of the Red Cross helping Canadian fl ood victims, write an email to your parents living in Vancouver, B.C. describing what you are seeing, feeling, and experiencing as a result of the record water levels. OR As a member of the Kashechewan Cree First Nation who has been evacuated again, write an email to your cousins living in Halifax, Nova Scotia and describe what you are seeing, feeling, and experiencing as a result of the fl ooding. A good email includes key facts and supporting details, is believable, and shows imagination.

JUST TALK ABOUT IT

1. As you see it, what is the signifi cance of this article? Explain. 2. What reasons can you suggest to explain why over the years, some people have built homes and roads in areas that can fl ood easily? 3. Many people have had their lives disrupted as a result of the fl ooding. As you see it, who should be responsible for helping people who have been aff ected by the ooding,fl in the short term and in the long term? Explain.

ONLINE

Note: Th e links below are listed at www.lesplan.com/en/links for easy access. 1. View a video of the fl ood that hit Beauceville, Quebec in mid-April aft er a big snowfall: Visit: https://youtu.be/VvS20fqTu34 [3:35] 2. See CBC news reports on communities in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Eastern Ontario that were hit by spring fl ooding: April 22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLYlwq7BIW4 [4:02] April 26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG27w9TSVJs [14:45] April 27 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDVD-6G0TyE [8:01] 3. Floods 101: View a National Geographic video about fl ooding: https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/00000144-0a2c-d3cb-a96c-7b2d90f30000 [3:29] 4. Find out more about fl ooding in Canada at: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fl oods-and-fl ood-control 5. See how the Government of Canada monitors and responds to ice break-up and fl ood events at: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/hazards/fl oods 6. Find out more about the history of fl ooding in Canada at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_fl ooding_in_Canada 7. Find out about fl ooding events and causes from the National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/fl ood/ 8. Read a 2016 U.S. Government report about the eff ects of urban development on fl oods: https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs07603/ 9. Visit Floodlist for news and information on the latest fl ood events from around the world, including Canada: http://fl oodlist.com 10. Read ‘How Floods Work’: https://science.howstuff works.com/nature/natural-disasters/fl ood.htm J

Page 6 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019 Images in the News water, water everywhere

Directions: 1. Study the photograph below. 2. Th en, complete each quadrant on the Getting Inside the Picture chart. Use as many details as you can. 3. Now, select one of your powerful words. Use this as a springboard for a 5-minute Quick Write. Let your pen fl ow. A good descriptive paragraph has vivid details and helps the reader “get inside the picture” (experience the event as if he/she were right there). 4. Generate three possible titles for this picture. Th en select the one that best captures the essence of the image. Explain why this is the most suitable title.

Residents, friends and volunteers work to hold back fl oodwaters on the Ottawa River in Constance Bay, Ont. on Monday, April 29, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

Title: ______

Senses Images What might you hear, smell, taste or touch? What details in the photograph create What colours, textures, sounds, movements might vivid pictures in your mind? you experience?

Words Feelings What powerful words describe the scene? What do you feel when you look at this image? What might you think, wonder, say if you were there? What might the people in the region where the photograph was taken be feeling? Quick write

Possible titles:

1. ______2. ______3. ______

Th e best title is # _____ because . . .

J 3 4 5

7 8 I O

V T 9 10

11 A C U 12 M 13 T

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2017_Quebec_Floods_-_Montreal_(34416135641).jpg

ACROSS DOWN

2. river that regularly fl oods Kashechewan 1. federal defence minister 3. Canada’s climate is warming at _____ the 4. scientist who studies climate global average 6. to save or reclaim something that is lost 5. St. _____ River in New Brunswick fl ooded or damaged 7. rain, snow, hail, etc. 8. Kashechewan residents have been _____ 17 times 11. worldwide humanitarian organization 9. federal public safety minister 12. many municipalities declared a ‘state of _____’ 10. large ocean wave 13. river between Ontario and Quebec 11. when water drains away 14. a long wall built to prevent fl ooding

Page 9 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019 map assignment Water, Water Everywhere Complete this map assignment to better understand the article Water, Water Everywhere.

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Obtain the required resources and read all the instructions before starting. 2. Colour your map aft er all labelling is completed. 3. Print in pencil only fi rst, then go over the printing in black ink. 4. Work carefully and neatly. Resources Required: pencil, black pen, pencil crayons, ruler, eraser and an atlas. Part A Locate and label the following provinces in CAPITAL letters and shade each as indicated: Nova Scotia (pink) New Brunswick (red) Prince Edward Island (yellow) Part B Locate and label the capital city of each province and underline each city name. Part C Locate and label the following in CAPITAL letters and shade each as indicated: Quebec (green) United States (orange) Part D Locate and label the following islands: Cape Breton Island Magdalen Islands Anticosti Island Part E Locate and label the Gaspé Peninsula. Part F Locate and label the following cities in New Brunswick: Moncton St. John Miramichi Edmundston Part G Locate and label the following and shade all ocean water dark blue: Bay of Fundy Northumberland Strait Gulf of St. Lawrence Chaleur Bay Atlantic Ocean Part H Locate and label the following and shade all rivers light blue: St. John River Miramichi River Part I Complete your map with a frame, title and compass. J

New Brunswick Page 10 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019

100 Kilometres 100

5025 0 0 map assignment Water, Water Everywhere Complete this map assignment to better understand the article Water, Water Everywhere.

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Obtain the required resources and read all the instructions before starting. 2. Colour your map aft er all labelling is completed. 3. Print in pencil only fi rst, then go over the printing in black ink. 4. Work carefully and neatly. Resources Required: pencil, black pen, pencil crayons, ruler, eraser and an atlas. Part A Locate and label the capital of Canada and underline the city name. Part B Locate and label the following provinces in CAPITAL letters and shade each as indicated: Ontario (green) Quebec (orange) Part C Locate and label the capital of each province and underline each city name. Part D Locate and label the following in CAPITAL letters and shade each as indicated: New Brunswick (purple) Newfoundland and Labrador (yellow) Nova Scotia (pink) Prince Edward Island (red) United States (brown) Part E Locate and label the cities of Kashechewan and Montreal. Part F Locate and label the following and shade all rivers light blue: Ottawa River Gatineau River St. Lawrence River St. John River Part G Locate and label the following Great Lakes and shade all water light blue: Lake Superior Lake Michigan Lake Huron Lake Erie Lake Ontario Part H Locate and label the following and shade all ocean water dark blue: Hudson Bay James Bay Gulf of St. Lawrence Atlantic Ocean Part I Shade all remaining territory grey. Part J Complete your map with a frame, title and compass. J

Ontario Quebec New Brunswick Page 12 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019 400 Kilometres

300

200

100

0 water, water everywhere QUIZ

A. Write the letter that corresponds to the best answer on the line beside each question: ______1. Which river caused severe fl ooding in New Brunswick? a) Ottawa River b) St. Lawrence River c) St. John River d) Gatineau River ______2. Which community experienced severe fl ooding when a dike broke on the Lake of Two Mountains? a) Kashechewan b) Quebec City c) Ottawa-Gatineau d) Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac ______3. Which danger did Health Canada warn returning fl ood victims about? a) contaminated groundwater b) live electrical wires c) spoiled food d) poor driving conditions B. Mark the statements T (True) or F (False). If a statement is True, write one important fact to support it on the line below. If a statement is False, write the words that make it true on the line below. ______4. True or False? Kashechewan has been evacuated for each of the past 17 years.

______5. True or False? Only the Canadian Red Cross was able to help fl ood victims.

______6. True or False? Quebec’s government will provide $200,000 to all homeowners who were fl ood victims.

C. Fill in the blanks to complete each sentence. 7. Kashechewan is a remote ______community. 8. A big ______and heavy rains caused much fl ooding in Central Canada. 9. Many communities could not cope with the fl oods and declared a ‘state of ______’ . D. Respond to the following question in paragraph form. (Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary.) People who live on or near areas that fl ood easily should not receive government compensation.Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons to support your response.

Page 14 What in the world? • breaking news MAY 2019 Current Events, Clearly Explained

Students want to know what’s happening in their world – but the news can be difficult and time-consuming to teach. We have the solution. (Four, actually.) The Canadian Reader What in the World?

& up Level 2 (Grades 8, 9 and 10) & up Nos Nouvelles Le Monde en Marche Rick Hansen and 3 5 Many in Motion Print/pdf resource Print/pdf resource page 3 9 9 Europe, the U.S., and Th e Economy page 14 grade

9 Clearly written, leveled Canadian 9 National and international grade Struggle for Survival in Somalia page 9 current events articles news stories Cell Phones in the Spotlight page 20 September 2011 9 Literacy-based lesson plans 9 Key vocabulary A monthly current events resource for Canadian classrooms Routing Slip: (please circulate) 9 Engaging, original illustrations 9 Background information 9 Comics 9 Varied assignments that build 9 Map assignments content-area knowledge and enhance critical thinking Product details: 32 pages. Available in English 9 Maps and illustrations and in French for grades 3 and up. Product details: 32 pages. Available in English and in French, and in two reading levels, for grades 5 and up. Currents4Kids.com Infos-Jeunes.com (NEW!) Building Bridges 3 & up 9 Online interactive grade Bâtir des ponts & up 5 resource 9 Print/pdf resource 9 Weekly news stories 9 Builds understanding of current grade 9 Auto-graded quizzes Online interactive resource events that impact Indigenous 9 Comment page for Peoples and all Canadians students to respond to the stories 9 Two theme-based articles 9 Links to relevant articles, resources, and lesson plans maps, photos and videos 9 Background information 9 Suggested activities and a Word Work assignment 9 Consistent with First Peoples Principles of Learning One subscription allows all teachers and students access 9 Encourages a respectful, reflective, empathetic, to this site from any Internet-connected device at any time. and inquiring frame of mind Available in English and in French, for grades 3 and up. Product details: Variable page length. Available in English and in French, and in two reading levels, for grades 5 and up.

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