It was around 4:45 a.m. on March 15 when Christine and Andy Cardinal woke up to icy cold water spraying out from under their bed in their basement master bedroom. Christine looked on in horror as his husband stood ankle-deep water as the basement began to fill up with muddy water.
“My husband thought it was a tornado because the sound of the water was so loud,” said the mother of nine kids but only eight still live in the bungalow located across the street from Dr. Swift Middle School.
Cardinal believes the house shifted during the flooding since the couple couldn’t get their front door open and the damage left cracks in the walls. The couple frantically woke friends up and asked for help to remove the water that now reached the front door entrance way.
“It filled up like a bathtub,” said family friend Tara Grant who came over that morning to help remove the water.
The couple was later told by Lac La Biche County staff that the water was coming from a county water pipe that burst, followed the home’s water line and then came out through their basement, leaving a huge gaping hole in the bedroom flooring.
Thanks to their friends, the Cardinals were able to remove the water but were left with a muddy basement and thousands of dollars worth of merchandise ruined. Forced to pump the water out and live only on the first level of their home, the Lac La Biche family of 10 needed help so the Cardinals went to the Lac La Biche County council for assistance while they waited to hear back from the county’s assessor on the extent of the damage.
Interrupting a budget meeting, the Cardinals saw council and asked for help on March 18. Councillors met with the distressed family and offered them $5,000 based “on humanitarian grounds.” According to the draft minutes from that special meeting with the Cardinals, the money was for appropriate lodging and other amenities the family might need during this crisis.
The couple says it’s been three weeks and they still haven’t heard from county officials on the extent of the damage to their home.
“I understand these things take time but people have to understand that when you have a family, time is of the essence,” said Cardinal, with tears in her eyes. “We’re not starving, we’re homeless.”
Christine explained that the couple didn’t have insurance on the home because she would usually take care of important documents like home insurance but a brain injury has led to memory lapse.
County officials refused to comment on the issue because of ongoing legal proceedings, according to county spokesperson Shadia Amblie. The Cardinals have confirmed that they are taking legal action but say they are doing so they can provide a safe home for their children.
“We are not looking for sympathy, we just want a new home for our kids,” said Christine.