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‘We all have to pitch in’: Volunteers gather in Pierrefonds for big cleanup

WATCH ABOVE: A cleanup blitz in flood-affected neighbourhoods, organized by the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, attracted hundreds of volunteers Saturday. As Global’s Felicia Parrilllo reports, for many volunteers lending a helping hand was the best way of showing support – May 27, 2017

On Saturday, volunteers from all over the Greater Montreal area went door-to-door in Pierrefonds to check on those whose homes were devastated by floods.

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Around 200 people scoured the streets, equipped with rakes and shovels, eager to help anyone who needed it.

“We all have to pitch in,” said Pointe-Claire resident and volunteer, Chris Wilson. “Particularly [for] people down here, who have basically lost everything, they don’t have the energy anymore to do it for themselves, so they need our help.”

READ MORE: 30 homes evacuated after flooding in Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Île Bizard

Volunteers said spending their Saturday removing sandbags, cleaning flood debris and removing furniture out of homes, was the least they could do.

“In Montreal, we all come together in times of need,” said Côte Saint-Luc resident and volunteer, Jordan Luden. “It’s a great way to show your support, even if it didn’t affect you personally. To come out here and see all the people who have been affected, and to do whatever you can to help them.”

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The Canadian Army also came to remove sandbags behind apartment buildings along the Rivière des Prairies.

READ MORE: As flood waters recede, here’s what to do with all those sandbags

Montreal Mayor, Denis Coderre said it’s important for flood victims to know that they’re not alone in picking up the pieces.

READ MORE: Quebec floods: Pierrefonds-Roxboro collects 422 tonnes of garbage, debris in one weekend

“We are behind you, we are there to give you a hand,” Coderre said. “When the cameras will leave, we’re still there. We’re there before, during and after.”

Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough Mayor, Jim Beis, said he’s confident the community will be even stronger after this.

“We still have many months to go before we can really get back to some normalcy in the community, but this is a great start,” he said.

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