Sunnyside community marks 10 years since the big flood

In 2013, Christie Page found herself scrambling to evacuate with her family after she heard a flood warning on the radio.

Page, a resident of the Sunnyside community in northwest Calgary, called her husband immediately and they made a decision — it was time to evacuate with their baby and head to a safe location.

"We were very lucky," Page said. "We got to go to my in-laws' house…[we] came back the next day and took a picture up from up on the ridge and there was just water over our whole street."

Ten years later, Page feels gratitude for being part of a supportive community like Sunnyside. 

"If I go for a walk, there are people that we can go say 'hi' to and people are silly and have fun in the community," Page said. "It's just a fun place to be."

Page and her family participated in a vibrant community event Saturday that marked Neighbour Day and ten years since the community suffered devastating consequences from the 2013 Calgary flood.

Daniel J. Kirk, a Sunnyside resident who helped plan the Neighbor Day parade, said that things look remarkably different compared to ten years ago.

"We know that this year is going to be a dry year," he said before adding, "and so we're thinking about farmers and we're thinking about food security and we're thinking differently than ten years ago when we were so worried about too much water in our community." 

For Kirk, it's important to celebrate crucial milestones with other members of the Sunnyside community.

"In really important ways, we have to celebrate … at times of tragedy, definitely as we mark anniversaries and come together again as a community that, you know, we're here, the sun is shining," he said.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who was present at the event, was impressed by how vibrant the festivities were.

"It is unbelievable to be out here," she said. "Everyone is in such a great mood and people are really getting into the spirit."

She recalled what it was like when the city was dealing with the flood in 2013 and praised the Sunnyside community for bouncing back from the tragedy.

"For the community to come back and be thriving right now, it's a testament to how much it matters to have good neighbors and such a good community spirit that people could help each other out and get everything back on track," she said.