Simple sandbag solution

As local residents, firefighters, police and friendly strangers fill sandbags to protect homes from flooding creeks and rising lake levels, several locals have pointed to a simple device that could help expedite the sandbagging process.

A video posted on YouTube shows two young boys filling up six sandbags at once using a simple homemade tool made with PVC piping and wood.

The sandbags are placed over one end of the PVC pipes, and the sand is then filled into the other end.

In the video, the 10- and 13-year-old boys fill up six bags with sand in about 90 seconds.

“Today, I saw about 20 workers in red shirts filling sandbags in the Casa Loma region,” said Aaron Anderson. “Not to belittle them in any way, but there were two people to make one sandbag in about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

“These two young boys could produce as much as 12 full-grown adults in half the time.”