Olde Riverside BIA creates flood relief fund

A new pool of cash is coming toOlde Riverside businesses for future cases of severe flooding, similar to the deluge that put many parts of Windsor underwater three months ago.

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On Aug.29, many sectionsof the city were submerged and about 6,000 basements were floodedcars could evenbe seen floating along the streets.Windsor's mayorlabelledit the "largest flood event in our city's recorded history."

The Olde Riverside Business Improvement Association was so shocked by the sheer amount of water that temporarily shut down 12 of the 55 area shops, they decided to act. The BIA is now creating a special fund designed to assist affectedbusinesses in the event serious floods ever strike again.

"It was my first thought actually and I brought it up to the board, and they said yes," said executive director Bridget Scheuerman. "But they wanted to take time to make sure that it's proper."

Guidelines not set in stone

Parameters for the new program are not yet finalized, but Scheuerman saidthe money won't cover anything substantial. Instead, it's meant to provide a small amount of relief by covering the cost of storage units or food as staff work to renovate the store.

"Something to indicate that the business association cares," said Scheuerman.

• Residents plead for help as provincial disaster relief team surveys Windsor flood damage

Frank Batal has owned Glidden Dairy Bar on Wyandotte Street East for about four decades.

During the flood, he was out on a supply run. When Batal returned, he found five feet of water in the basement of his shop, which he uses for storage.

"At first you had to wait for the water to recede and then you do the cleanup, and we're still working on the cleanup," said Batal, who's doing all the renovations by himself.

$27,000 worth of losses

For Batal, water washed away $7,000 worth of suppliesand roughly $20,000 worth of personal sports memorabilia that was stuffed behind drywall for safe keeping.

"Everything is gone," hesaid about the collection from his late brother. "You don't feel good, but you're still alive."

None of the damages are being covered by insurance because Batal voluntarily chose not to have a policy.During a break-in, someone stole $27,000 worth of cigarettes and he said his insurance company at the time cut him a cheque for $2,500. Despite his hefty loss, he doesn't regret cancelling his insurance.

"You're just going to work with what you got and start all over again," said Batal.

Tattoo shop still closed

A few doors down, Minds Eye Tattoo still hasn't re-opened after being badly damaged by the flood. Large pieces of furniture and a toppled vending machine are sitting right outside of the shop. A sign posted on the front re-directs customers to call if they're interested in getting inked.

Even the Riverside Public Library is still waterlogged. Its basement remains closed as they wait for quotes and a contractor to come and fix the damage.

Although the proposed relief fund doesn't covercurrent losses, it acts as a safetyblanket for potential disasters down the road.