Water Main Break Forces Montreal Lubavitchers Out of Homes

It was 3:30 AM. Rabbi Yechiel Yosef Ceitlin was working in the basement of his Montreal home under the quiet hum of a heater in the window when suddenly the machine fell out the window and water started pouring into the house. “It was like someone opened up a four inch hose, and water came shooting into the basement like a waterfall,” said Mrs. Chanie Ceitlin. “It came in through my front windows, and went into my dryer. It wasn’t fun.”

The cause of the flooding: another water main break in the Westbury area, with the water main located in the Ceitlins’ front yard. The Ceitlins were soon facing four inches of water in their basement. “It was right in front of my house so I got the brunt in the front,” explained Mrs. Ceitlin, ”By 9:00 most of it had evaporated or sunk in.”

The Ceitlin’s can consider themselves lucky. Their neighbours, the Kramers, had four feet of water in their basement. Upper Carlton is located on a small hill with an incline. Most of the water going downhill went into the Kramers’ driveway and from there into their garage and basement.

The fire department arrived and started pumping water out of three basements, evacuated residents who went to stay with neighbors for the time being and shut off the water at about 6:00. They also closed off Carlton, and for a short period of time, part of Victoria.

With the water continuing downhill, it is unknown how many homes and businesses were affected.

This is the fifth water main break in the area within two weeks.