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Students in Foam Lake got some extra physical education this week, stepping in to help fill sandbags as overland flooding pushed water into streets and nearby rural areas.
“A call went out from our town foreman. We need some people to fill some sandbags and help out preparing for flood mitigation,” said Nevin Halyk, the principal of Foam Lake Composite School.
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That call quickly turned into action.
Grade 10, 11 and 12 students spent part of the school day on Wednesday filling sandbags at a town facility, rotating through shifts for several hours alongside municipal crews. The effort came as rising water left some roads impassable in the town northwest of Regina, and raised concerns about further flooding in the days ahead.
Halyk said it didn’t take much convincing to get the students involved.
“They were all in,” he said. “They understood that this was about helping our community protect itself from an emergency.”
Students in physical education and personal fitness classes took part, swapping their usual gym routines for what Halyk called “real-world heavy lifting.”
The groups cycled through the work, helping build up a supply of sandbags that were later used in flood-mitigation efforts around the community.
While the work happened during school hours, the students’ efforts didn’t end there. Halyk said many students and staff members returned later in the evening as volunteers, continuing to fill and place sandbags alongside other residents.
“It’s sort of how Foam Lake rolls,” he said. “We’re known as a community that can pull together in good times and in hard times.”
Flooding has affected multiple streets in the town, along with some roads in surrounding rural municipalities.
Halyk said he’s seen the water levels drop slightly, but that doesn’t mean the work can end.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said. “It’s possible and likely that there’s going to be some flood mitigation that’s going to have to happen over the next several days.”
Halyk said cooler weather has helped slow the rate of melting snow, giving crews more time to respond. But there’s still a significant amount of snow on the ground that could contribute to further flooding, and even more precipitation could arrive on Thursday.
For Halyk, the students’ response wasn’t surprising.
“They understand they’re community members,” he said. “When we have an opportunity to help out, we jump at the chance.”
He said the school’s connection to the community runs deep, and moments like this reinforce that bond for students.
“Anybody who talks about Foam Lake knows that the volunteer spirit is huge in our community,” Halyk said. “This is just one little example.”
Foam Lake’s fire department said most of the flooding has cleared up, but it will continue to monitor water levels and prepare for what comes next.
Halyk said the school will be ready to help again if needed.
In Foam Lake, he said, pitching in isn’t out of the ordinary. It’s just what people do.
