Bio: Pacinthe Mattar is an associate producer with CBC Radio One's As It Happens. She was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to North York, Ont., when she was three. She left again seven years later to travel to Saudi Arabia, completed high school in Dubai and returned to Canada for her undergraduate and master's degrees. Pacinthe still has family members in Cairo and Alexandria. She contacted the CBCNews.ca community team on Feb. 11, 2011, to discuss what Egypt's democratic uprising meant to her.

My story: People often ask me where home is, and I say Egypt. "Really?" they say, "But you speak English so well." So I explain that I'm an Egyptian who's never lived in Egypt -- I was born in the northern city of Alexandria, but moved away at a very young age. (I also tell them that although it may be hard for them to believe, there are Egyptians who speak "good" English.)

Like many Egyptians who live abroad, I grew up thinking Egypt was just a place I would go to visit family for the summer, but never to live. It just wasn't good enough -- the quality of life, quality of education, right down to the air quality. Never good enough. My parents recognized this and made sure my brother, sister and I got the best of the best around the world. We grew up taking piano lessons and in French immersion schools in North York, horse riding in Dubai, swimming competitively in Saudi Arabia, with trips to Switzerland, Tanzania and Disney World every now and then.

Egypt, or Om El Donya, a term of endearment for Egypt that means "Mother of the World," was a place I would go only for the summer -- to lounge around white sandy beaches, and to visit aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents who loved us and missed us and wished for nothing more than for us to stay, but who also told us we were lucky we lived abroad (barra), growing up around foreigners, (agaanib).

When I was young, I'd tell them that I'd be back to "fix" Egypt when I was older. I had this feeling that I, along with other Egyptians who grew up abroad, could come back one day and make Egypt better. But the older I got, and with every trip to Egypt, it hit me that it would be impossible to change Egypt. It felt rotten to the core. What could I change? Even if all the Egyptians in the world went back to Egypt to "fix it," what could we do? The answer was: nothing.

But today changes everything.

Today, Egyptians proved that they could, in fact, "fix it." Today, I'm the one who finds myself wishing I was not barra but in Om El Donya. I find myself proud -- prouder than I've ever been of being Egyptian. I find myself thinking that moving back to Egypt can actually be a reality now.

I know so many Egyptians who, like me, adopted Canada, the U.S., or the U.K. as their home because we could never really go home. But today, I feel like I -- like we -- might finally be able to go home. 

Related links:

Egypt protests: Stories from the ground

Bio: Pacinthe Mattar is an associate producer with CBC Radio One's As It Happens. She was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and moved to North York, Ont., when she was three. She left again seven years later to travel to Saudi Arabia, completed high school in Dubai and returned to Canada for her undergraduate and master's degrees. Pacinthe still has family members in Cairo and Alexandria. She contacted the CBCNews.ca community team on Feb. 11, 2011, to discuss what Egypt's democratic uprising meant to her.

My story: People often ask me where home is, and I say Egypt. "Really?" they say, "But you speak English so well." So I explain that I'm an Egyptian who's never lived in Egypt -- I was born in the northern city of Alexandria, but moved away at a very young age. (I also tell them that although it may be hard for them to believe, there are Egyptians who speak "good" English.)

Like many Egyptians who live abroad, I grew up thinking Egypt was just a place I would go to visit family for the summer, but never to live. It just wasn't good enough -- the quality of life, quality of education, right down to the air quality. Never good enough. My parents recognized this and made sure my brother, sister and I got the best of the best around the world. We grew up taking piano lessons and in French immersion schools in North York, horse riding in Dubai, swimming competitively in Saudi Arabia, with trips to Switzerland, Tanzania and Disney World every now and then.

Egypt, or Om El Donya, a term of endearment for Egypt that means "Mother of the World," was a place I would go only for the summer -- to lounge around white sandy beaches, and to visit aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents who loved us and missed us and wished for nothing more than for us to stay, but who also told us we were lucky we lived abroad (barra), growing up around foreigners, (agaanib).

When I was young, I'd tell them that I'd be back to "fix" Egypt when I was older. I had this feeling that I, along with other Egyptians who grew up abroad, could come back one day and make Egypt better. But the older I got, and with every trip to Egypt, it hit me that it would be impossible to change Egypt. It felt rotten to the core. What could I change? Even if all the Egyptians in the world went back to Egypt to "fix it," what could we do? The answer was: nothing.

But today changes everything.

Today, Egyptians proved that they could, in fact, "fix it." Today, I'm the one who finds myself wishing I was not barra but in Om El Donya. I find myself proud -- prouder than I've ever been of being Egyptian. I find myself thinking that moving back to Egypt can actually be a reality now.

I know so many Egyptians who, like me, adopted Canada, the U.S., or the U.K. as their home because we could never really go home. But today, I feel like I -- like we -- might finally be able to go home. 

Related links:

Egypt protests: Stories from the ground

Bio: Sarah Attia is a Canadian-Egyptian mother who was born and raised in Toronto and has a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto. She has been living in Egypt for the past six years and works as a teacher and administrator at the Mokatam International School in Cairo. After braving the crowds in Tahrir Square on Feb. 9, she sent the CBCNews.ca community team an email describing what it was like to take her three young children to the protests.

My story: Today, armed with two strollers and a diaper bag, my husband and I took our three kids -- aged one, two and a half, and five -- to Tahrir Square. We were quite the sight amidst the thousands of protesters who smiled to the kids as they waved their Egyptian flags that we purchased on our way in. We were welcomed by everyone and more than 30 people asked to take the kids' pictures and gave them dates and other goodies.

As we stood with the thousands of protesters chanting the slogans against the regime, I was uplifted by the unity and peacefulness of the people in the square. I felt truly content and safe amongst these people whom I had never met before. I could not believe that this was the same spot and the same people that had witnessed bloodshed just a few days ago. At that moment, I decided that I wanted to continue to raise my children in Egypt if these were the men and women that they would grow to be.

Many in Egypt would be completely shocked to hear that I took an infant, toddler and preschooler to Tahrir, but I am truly happy that they witnessed this honourable revolution and saw the exact spot that the brave men and women had stood just days before, defending their rights and freedoms. Similarly, I wanted the world to see that Tahrir Square was not a place of fear, but a place of peace, tranquility and hope.

We are home now and the kids are still chanting the songs that they heard today. Even Fatema, who does not speak yet, is waving her fist as her siblings chant. Abdelrahman drew a large Egyptian flag as soon as we got home and said he would take it to Tahrir tomorrow. And Amena, before going to bed, said: "Bokra haruh tany li masr" ("Tomorrow I will go again to Egypt.")

God willing, in 20 years, in a brighter Egypt, I will tell my children the story of Tahrir Square and the trip we took, and they will tell their children of how they were part of bringing freedom to Egypt.

I urge all to remain patient and steadfast and to join the call for change in whatever way they can -- for the sake of all our children.

Related links:

Egypt protests: Stories from the ground

Bio: Sarah Attia is a Canadian-Egyptian mother who was born and raised in Toronto and has a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto. She has been living in Egypt for the past six years and works as a teacher and administrator at the Mokatam International School in Cairo. After braving the crowds in Tahrir Square on Feb. 9, she sent the CBCNews.ca community team an email describing what it was like to take her three young children to the protests.

My story: Today, armed with two strollers and a diaper bag, my husband and I took our three kids -- aged one, two and a half, and five -- to Tahrir Square. We were quite the sight amidst the thousands of protesters who smiled to the kids as they waved their Egyptian flags that we purchased on our way in. We were welcomed by everyone and more than 30 people asked to take the kids' pictures and gave them dates and other goodies.

As we stood with the thousands of protesters chanting the slogans against the regime, I was uplifted by the unity and peacefulness of the people in the square. I felt truly content and safe amongst these people whom I had never met before. I could not believe that this was the same spot and the same people that had witnessed bloodshed just a few days ago. At that moment, I decided that I wanted to continue to raise my children in Egypt if these were the men and women that they would grow to be.

Many in Egypt would be completely shocked to hear that I took an infant, toddler and preschooler to Tahrir, but I am truly happy that they witnessed this honourable revolution and saw the exact spot that the brave men and women had stood just days before, defending their rights and freedoms. Similarly, I wanted the world to see that Tahrir Square was not a place of fear, but a place of peace, tranquility and hope.

We are home now and the kids are still chanting the songs that they heard today. Even Fatema, who does not speak yet, is waving her fist as her siblings chant. Abdelrahman drew a large Egyptian flag as soon as we got home and said he would take it to Tahrir tomorrow. And Amena, before going to bed, said: "Bokra haruh tany li masr" ("Tomorrow I will go again to Egypt.")

God willing, in 20 years, in a brighter Egypt, I will tell my children the story of Tahrir Square and the trip we took, and they will tell their children of how they were part of bringing freedom to Egypt.

I urge all to remain patient and steadfast and to join the call for change in whatever way they can -- for the sake of all our children.

Related links:

Egypt protests: Stories from the ground

Related:

Egypt: Stories from the ground

Related:

Egypt: Stories from the ground

As major outlets of communication have been shut off in many parts of the country, keeping connected is no doubt an issue. If you know people in Egypt, affected by these protests, tell us what you are hearing through the grapevine.

My story: January 25th 2011 is a day that will for a fact have a huge impact on every Egyptian one way or another and on Egypt as a whole.

For anyone who doesn't know, that is the Egyptian National Police day and the day Egyptians, in my opinion, got inspired by the Tunisians, and finally spoke out and took a stand against Mubarak's regime.

I got to Tahrir Square at around 4 pm where the protesters had gathered from all around Cairo and were chanting different slogans mostly against Mubarak and the government as a whole and not using any kind of violence.

I started chanting with them and walking around joining different groups of people and running into lots of familiar faces from various social circles as the protesters were from all ages and social classes.

After an hour or so I started hearing loud noises that sounded like bombings but had no idea where it was coming from and suddenly I found myself surrounded by smoke, and people running all around. [There] were tear bombs, thrown at us by police officers. I could barely open my eyes and found it very hard to breathe. Me and my friend held on to each other while being led towards a clearer area by a kind stranger from the back and when we were almost there another tear bomb was thrown right in front of us, so we changed our direction once again.

After a few minutes I could see clearly again but the sight wasn't as good as before, people were scattered all over the place and no longer together. Some fainted and were being carried to the side of the street, others were coughing and rubbing their eyes vigorously. Soon enough we were all gathered in the same place again, thanks to some young men who kept calling on everyone to hold on and go back and not let them win. I was angrier and more determined to make a change. 

Are you participating in the protests? Do you plan on going on Friday?

The government cut almost all internet and cellphone data service early Friday. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter were used to spread information about the protests.

Egypt's four primary internet providers -- Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt, Etisalat Misr -- all stopped moving data in and out of the country at 12:34 a.m., according to a network security firm monitoring the traffic.

CBCNews.ca is looking for stories, photos and videos, if you've got them. (Please do not put yourself at risk to capture these reports). Your photos and video may be used on-air and in articles as part of CBC News Network's coverage. Here's how you can get in touch when internet access is restored.

Photos: Upload your photos here, add them to our Flickr group or email them to yournews@cbc.ca.

Videos: Upload video here. Please do not add graphics or music to the clip.

Reports: You can also email your reports from the Egyptian protests to yournews@cbc.ca.

Related links:

Egypt: Stories from the ground

My story: January 25th 2011 is a day that will for a fact have a huge impact on every Egyptian one way or another and on Egypt as a whole.

For anyone who doesn't know, that is the Egyptian National Police day and the day Egyptians, in my opinion, got inspired by the Tunisians, and finally spoke out and took a stand against Mubarak's regime.

I got to Tahrir Square at around 4 pm where the protesters had gathered from all around Cairo and were chanting different slogans mostly against Mubarak and the government as a whole and not using any kind of violence.

I started chanting with them and walking around joining different groups of people and running into lots of familiar faces from various social circles as the protesters were from all ages and social classes.

After an hour or so I started hearing loud noises that sounded like bombings but had no idea where it was coming from and suddenly I found myself surrounded by smoke, and people running all around. [There] were tear bombs, thrown at us by police officers. I could barely open my eyes and found it very hard to breathe. Me and my friend held on to each other while being led towards a clearer area by a kind stranger from the back and when we were almost there another tear bomb was thrown right in front of us, so we changed our direction once again.

After a few minutes I could see clearly again but the sight wasn't as good as before, people were scattered all over the place and no longer together. Some fainted and were being carried to the side of the street, others were coughing and rubbing their eyes vigorously. Soon enough we were all gathered in the same place again, thanks to some young men who kept calling on everyone to hold on and go back and not let them win. I was angrier and more determined to make a change. 

Are you participating in the protests? Do you plan on going on Friday?

The government cut almost all internet and cellphone data service early Friday. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter were used to spread information about the protests.

Egypt's four primary internet providers -- Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt, Etisalat Misr -- all stopped moving data in and out of the country at 12:34 a.m., according to a network security firm monitoring the traffic.

CBCNews.ca is looking for stories, photos and videos, if you've got them. (Please do not put yourself at risk to capture these reports). Your photos and video may be used on-air and in articles as part of CBC News Network's coverage. Here's how you can get in touch when internet access is restored.

Photos: Upload your photos here, add them to our Flickr group or email them to yournews@cbc.ca.

Videos: Upload video here. Please do not add graphics or music to the clip.

Reports: You can also email your reports from the Egyptian protests to yournews@cbc.ca.

Related links:

Egypt: Stories from the ground

Are you participating in the protests? Do you plan on going on Friday?

The government cut almost all internet and cellphone data service early Friday. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter were used to spread information about the protests.

Egypt's four primary internet providers -- Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt, Etisalat Misr -- all stopped moving data in and out of the country at 12:34 a.m., according to a network security firm monitoring the traffic.

CBCNews.ca is looking for stories, photos and videos, if you've got them. (Please do not put yourself at risk to capture these reports). Your photos and video may be used on-air and in articles as part of CBC News Network's coverage. Here's how you can get in touch when internet access is restored.

Photos: Upload your photos here, add them to our Flickr group or email them to yournews@cbc.ca.

Videos: Upload video here. Please do not add graphics or music to the clip.

Reports: You can also email your reports from the Egyptian protests to yournews@cbc.ca.

Related links:

Egypt: Stories from the ground

Egypt protests: A roundup of social media reaction

Corrections and Clarifications

• An earlier version of this entry stated that Drew Storey arrived in Egypt 18 months ago to finish his sociology degree. In fact, Storey arrived in Egypt to finish his degree four years ago and returned to work and live there 18 months ago after spending time back in the U.S. The entry also stated that Storey had used a gas mask during the protests in Tahrir Square on Jan. 25. In fact, he had brought a cloth ski mask. Jan. 31, 2010 | 9:35 a.m. ET

Are you participating in the protests? Do you plan on going on Friday?

The government cut almost all internet and cellphone data service early Friday. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter were used to spread information about the protests.

Egypt's four primary internet providers -- Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt, Etisalat Misr -- all stopped moving data in and out of the country at 12:34 a.m., according to a network security firm monitoring the traffic.

CBCNews.ca is looking for stories, photos and videos, if you've got them. (Please do not put yourself at risk to capture these reports). Your photos and video may be used on-air and in articles as part of CBC News Network's coverage. Here's how you can get in touch when internet access is restored.

Photos: Upload your photos here, add them to our Flickr group or email them to yournews@cbc.ca.

Videos: Upload video here. Please do not add graphics or music to the clip.

Reports: You can also email your reports from the Egyptian protests to yournews@cbc.ca.

Related links:

Egypt: Stories from the ground

Egypt protests: A roundup of social media reaction

Corrections and Clarifications

• An earlier version of this entry stated that Drew Storey arrived in Egypt 18 months ago to finish his sociology degree. In fact, Storey arrived in Egypt to finish his degree four years ago and returned to work and live there 18 months ago after spending time back in the U.S. The entry also stated that Storey had used a gas mask during the protests in Tahrir Square on Jan. 25. In fact, he had brought a cloth ski mask. Jan. 31, 2010 | 9:35 a.m. ET

An entire suburb is submerged outside Ipswich, west of Brisbane, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011. (Associated Press Photo)

Bio: Arthur Boyer was born in Thunder Bay, Ont., and studied journalism at Humber College and Ryerson University before deciding to become a paramedic. He took a working holiday at a hospital in Brisbane, Australia, where he met his wife who was training as a nurse. The couple decided to settle in the Brisbane area. Boyer currently works for an engineering firm that makes water tanks and pontoon boats. He will be contributing updates about the flood to the CBCNews.ca Community.

Submitted Jan. 21 (7 a.m. local time) - " Now comes the post-mortem."
 
It has been over a week since the flood, and Brisbane is almost back to normal.  Some vulnerable areas are still cleaning up, but the attention has moved onto the floods in Victoria. The towns of Dimboola and Kow Swamp are being evacuated. Kow Swamp at least sounds flood-prone, but to see Toowoomba, at the top of the Great Dividing Range, hit by a flash flood seems surreal.

I got my personal message of thanks from the Lord Mayor of Brisbane for volunteering, as did the thousands of other volunteers. In fact, so many volunteered that many were sent home. It was very gratifying to see friendships forged and the community strengthened through this common struggle.

Now comes the post-mortem. A broad-ranging inquiry has been formed and all issues are to be aired, including the role of ministers and political leaders in the development of estates in vulnerable areas. It has also been made clear that everything will not be rebuilt.

Some estates may not be rebuilt and bridges may be moved. The Riverwalk (a boardwalk-like promenade over the river) will certainly be rethought. This structure was washed away completely and threatened to take out crucial bridges. I am sure the flood-migration system established after 1974 will receive approval because it certainly did its job.

Another major issue is flood insurance. Few had it because of the prohibitive costs, so there is talk of either making it compulsory or subsidizing premiums. In an ironic twist from nature, some of the houses whose insurance policies did not include flooding were crushed by fallen trees in a violent thunderstorm two days ago. Now they can claim.  Unfortunately, most will have to resign themselves to the loss of many of their possessions. They survived, though, and for a city of over a million to experience such devastation and lose only one life, is just short of a miracle. For which we are all grateful.

Submitted Jan. 14 (11:30 a.m. local time) - "It looks like I can finally be of some help."

ABC local radio has advised that as of today there are 16 confirmed deaths with 53 still missing, mostly from the Grantham area. They have also advised that half of all homes without power have had it restored and we now have 25,000 remaining without electricity.

It looks like I can finally be of some help. Four large gathering points have been established. Volunteers are to collect there and will then be bused to areas in need. Potential volunteers are to flip a coin: heads show up at 7 a.m., tails at noon. I will be going to McGregor High School at noon today. I am not a regular cheerleader for either politicians or authorities but I must confess they have all done a fine job during this crisis.

Submitted Jan. 14 (6:30 a.m. local time) - "Things will return to normal soon, mate."

The cleanup starts now. Brisbane city council is calling for volunteers and has set up a hotline, so I will be off to help all day today. The effort seems well-managed. Authorities are setting up industrial bins everywhere for disposal and have distributed instructions on what to do when. Roads that are open are being kept clear, and crews are clearing debris.

So far, no bodies have been found in Brisbane. Unfortunately, three looters have been arrested. Some young guys were trying to steal booze from a flooded bottle shop (liquor store). I still have power, but there are about 80,000 without, so I am going to eat a quick breakfast and get out there. My first job is to clear the dead koala from near the house because it is starting to smell. We have a large carpet python that hangs around and gets rid of the vermin, so I don't mind his company. I haven't seen him lately and suspect he has gotten into the attic. Other pythons have been spotted around in the floods.

OK, I'd better call in and see if they need me. Things will return to normal soon, mate. Thanks for listening and wish us well.

Submitted on Jan. 13 (7:30 a.m. local time) -- "I am really impressed by the quality of the people of Brisbane."

Apparently we peaked at 4.4 metres, one metre below the 1974 level. More than 11,000 houses were totally flooded. Believe it or not, the most pressing problem is getting water supplies to flooded areas. There is a shortage of clean drinking water. I am sure this will be readily solved.

I am really impressed by the quality of the people of Brisbane. There was no verified looting. Shops opened their doors and gave away supplies to any who could get to them. When the power went off, several businesses donated all their stock and some evacuation centres had big barbeque cook ups so everyone got a good feed. They have had to ask people to stop donating goods, especially clothes. Generally people heeded warnings and either helped out or got out of the way. Neighbours helped neighbours and only one life was lost in Brisbane as of this update. I remember several snowstorms from my youth in Thunder Bay, and the atmosphere here was much like that -- general good humour and helpfulness. Thaw out a Canuck and you'll find an Aussie.

I suppose there will be shortages in the coming months, as many of the areas supplying foodstuffs have been destroyed, as has some transport infrastructure.

I am back at work and things around here are returning to normal surprisingly fast.  Brisbane will take a bit longer to clean up, as will Ipswich. Toowoomba and some of the hard-hit towns in the Lockyer Valley, like Grantham, will need a lot of rebuilding. I will advise you of anything significant. Other than that I am keeping myself available to help out. Brisbane's Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has said an announcement is pending for those willing to volunteer for cleanup.

Submitted Jan. 13 (5:30 a.m. local time) - "The level is down considerably and flowing away well."

I just got back from our dam. The level is down considerably and flowing away well.  Several water monitors plopped into the water but I didn't see any wallabies. Usually at this time of day I can catch one or two eating our flowers or trimming the lawns. Perhaps they don't like the rain. At least there will be plenty of feed around for them. There are two types of wallabies common to this area: the red-necked and the swamp wallaby.  I'd imagine the latter will be happier now than the former.

Although evacuation centres are still filling, the water has peaked and will remain high for some time [before] easing off through to the weekend. Then we can start the cleanup.

Submitted Jan. 13 (4:45 a.m. local time) - "Just a quick update on the bull shark."

Just a quick update on the bull shark: they are dangerous because they frequent fresh water and are quite aggressive. They are called bull sharks because of their nature, blunt snouts, and habit of butting prey. I am not sure that they do use iodine to tolerate fresh water. I have read that this has something to do with their ability to control urea secretion and special renal/liver functions. Their gills do alter in freshwater.

It is 4:45 a.m. and high tide has passed with the flood peak just below 1974 levels. The frogs kept me awake all last night so I'll have to keep my wits about me as I head in to work and do battle with my arch-enemy, the eastern brown snake. We do have a few of the brown snakes around our house but I haven't seen them lately. One attacked my friend Byron from Thunder Bay, Ont., when he was visiting two years back.

A cane toad sits inside a plastic bag at a billabong near Darwin, Australia. Animal experts say the recent Queensland floods could lead to a resurgence of cane toads. (David Gray/Reuters)

Submitted Jan. 13 (3:30 a.m. local time) -- "I was just boning up on snakebite first aid."

I suppose this weather will be great for future cane toad populations. We have heaps around our place. There are always two or three squashed on the driveway.

I was just boning up on snakebite first aid. A compression bandage will buy you six hours after you've been bitten by an eastern brown snake. But I would not want to try to get to medical help today. The facilities are all busy and many roads are closed. There was a small chat on local radio by a snake removalist. Apparently they are very busy now, as snakes move to higher ground.

One lady was trying to remove an eastern brown from her pantry. The trick is to stay calm, give the snake an exit and do not threaten it. I'll vouch for that, because the eastern brown has a very broad definition of threatening behaviour. The last one to attack me was irritated by me dropping my pants and sitting on the loo. He was stuck in a corner ... but once riled he had about seven strikes at me. I had to climb onto the cistern to get out of his way. They say a toy box is handy to contain snakes. I suppose you must remember to free the snake before reusing the box for toys.

It is 3:30 a.m. local time -- one hour from high tide. Tide heights have been revised and the flood is not expected to beat 1974. I think we dodged a bullet. Only one death in Ipswich so far, and about 20,000 homes flooded. A few thousand have been evacuated, but everyone seems to be coping well. We were lucky because the really big tides are not until Jan. 21.

Submitted Jan. 12 (11 p.m. local time) - "... this rain can flush out snakes."

We live on acreage near the Brisbane Koala Bushlands, about one kilometre from the factory. Since spying [a] dead koala I haven't seen any other dead wildlife. Even my arch enemy, the eastern brown snake that lives under our factory's electrical transformer, is lying low, although this rain can flush out snakes. The most lethal of these are the eastern brown and red-bellied black snakes. We do have deadly snakes on both properties, but I am treading softly and carrying a big broom. I did hear of a bull shark in the streets of Ipswich. Bull sharks are quite dangerous and responsible for many attacks because they live in estuaries and canal developments. They actually have a special organ that uses iodine to allow them to survive long periods in fresh water, so this situation can provide them with plenty of cover to work the crowds, so to speak.

Submitted Jan. 11 (5:44 p.m. local time) - "I hope it will be better for Brisbane this time around."

I am sitting in a Brisbane factory by myself, wondering what the worst of this flooding will bring. I wasn't here in 1974, the last great Brisbane flood, but I did emigrate from Canada in 1978. The first house I bought in Brisbane was inundated in 1974. A condition of purchase was flood insurance. I had to do some renovations in the attic and, when I crawled up there, found that silt was left over from the 1974 flood and covered all the wiring. So there I was, shovelling out silt, four years after the flood.

I hope it will be better for Brisbane this time around. We have better flood mitigation and drainage now but they say the water will rise higher. We are expecting a king tide at 3 p.m. [local time] so I will monitor alerts. Maybe I can help out. They were calling for some people to help shift people's gear to higher ground in Ipswich, which is just west of Brisbane, and that water is on its way here.

Brisbane will be OK, though we have good support and everyone pulls together. They are like Canadians in that regard, only warmer and a bit wet lately.

Are you contending with flood waters in Australia? Are you a Canadian living abroad there? Share your stories with the CBCNews.ca Community team. Email your news tips and photos to yournews@cbc.ca or send us a Citizen Byte blog post. You can also upload photos here and videos here.


More CBCNews.ca Community content

Australia flooding: Social media reaction

An entire suburb is submerged outside Ipswich, west of Brisbane, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011. (Associated Press Photo)

Bio: Arthur Boyer was born in Thunder Bay, Ont., and studied journalism at Humber College and Ryerson University before deciding to become a paramedic. He took a working holiday at a hospital in Brisbane, Australia, where he met his wife who was training as a nurse. The couple decided to settle in the Brisbane area. Boyer currently works for an engineering firm that makes water tanks and pontoon boats. He will be contributing updates about the flood to the CBCNews.ca Community.

Submitted Jan. 21 (7 a.m. local time) - " Now comes the post-mortem."
 
It has been over a week since the flood, and Brisbane is almost back to normal.  Some vulnerable areas are still cleaning up, but the attention has moved onto the floods in Victoria. The towns of Dimboola and Kow Swamp are being evacuated. Kow Swamp at least sounds flood-prone, but to see Toowoomba, at the top of the Great Dividing Range, hit by a flash flood seems surreal.

I got my personal message of thanks from the Lord Mayor of Brisbane for volunteering, as did the thousands of other volunteers. In fact, so many volunteered that many were sent home. It was very gratifying to see friendships forged and the community strengthened through this common struggle.

Now comes the post-mortem. A broad-ranging inquiry has been formed and all issues are to be aired, including the role of ministers and political leaders in the development of estates in vulnerable areas. It has also been made clear that everything will not be rebuilt.

Some estates may not be rebuilt and bridges may be moved. The Riverwalk (a boardwalk-like promenade over the river) will certainly be rethought. This structure was washed away completely and threatened to take out crucial bridges. I am sure the flood-migration system established after 1974 will receive approval because it certainly did its job.

Another major issue is flood insurance. Few had it because of the prohibitive costs, so there is talk of either making it compulsory or subsidizing premiums. In an ironic twist from nature, some of the houses whose insurance policies did not include flooding were crushed by fallen trees in a violent thunderstorm two days ago. Now they can claim.  Unfortunately, most will have to resign themselves to the loss of many of their possessions. They survived, though, and for a city of over a million to experience such devastation and lose only one life, is just short of a miracle. For which we are all grateful.

Submitted Jan. 14 (11:30 a.m. local time) - "It looks like I can finally be of some help."

ABC local radio has advised that as of today there are 16 confirmed deaths with 53 still missing, mostly from the Grantham area. They have also advised that half of all homes without power have had it restored and we now have 25,000 remaining without electricity.

It looks like I can finally be of some help. Four large gathering points have been established. Volunteers are to collect there and will then be bused to areas in need. Potential volunteers are to flip a coin: heads show up at 7 a.m., tails at noon. I will be going to McGregor High School at noon today. I am not a regular cheerleader for either politicians or authorities but I must confess they have all done a fine job during this crisis.

Submitted Jan. 14 (6:30 a.m. local time) - "Things will return to normal soon, mate."

The cleanup starts now. Brisbane city council is calling for volunteers and has set up a hotline, so I will be off to help all day today. The effort seems well-managed. Authorities are setting up industrial bins everywhere for disposal and have distributed instructions on what to do when. Roads that are open are being kept clear, and crews are clearing debris.

So far, no bodies have been found in Brisbane. Unfortunately, three looters have been arrested. Some young guys were trying to steal booze from a flooded bottle shop (liquor store). I still have power, but there are about 80,000 without, so I am going to eat a quick breakfast and get out there. My first job is to clear the dead koala from near the house because it is starting to smell. We have a large carpet python that hangs around and gets rid of the vermin, so I don't mind his company. I haven't seen him lately and suspect he has gotten into the attic. Other pythons have been spotted around in the floods.

OK, I'd better call in and see if they need me. Things will return to normal soon, mate. Thanks for listening and wish us well.

Submitted on Jan. 13 (7:30 a.m. local time) -- "I am really impressed by the quality of the people of Brisbane."

Apparently we peaked at 4.4 metres, one metre below the 1974 level. More than 11,000 houses were totally flooded. Believe it or not, the most pressing problem is getting water supplies to flooded areas. There is a shortage of clean drinking water. I am sure this will be readily solved.

I am really impressed by the quality of the people of Brisbane. There was no verified looting. Shops opened their doors and gave away supplies to any who could get to them. When the power went off, several businesses donated all their stock and some evacuation centres had big barbeque cook ups so everyone got a good feed. They have had to ask people to stop donating goods, especially clothes. Generally people heeded warnings and either helped out or got out of the way. Neighbours helped neighbours and only one life was lost in Brisbane as of this update. I remember several snowstorms from my youth in Thunder Bay, and the atmosphere here was much like that -- general good humour and helpfulness. Thaw out a Canuck and you'll find an Aussie.

I suppose there will be shortages in the coming months, as many of the areas supplying foodstuffs have been destroyed, as has some transport infrastructure.

I am back at work and things around here are returning to normal surprisingly fast.  Brisbane will take a bit longer to clean up, as will Ipswich. Toowoomba and some of the hard-hit towns in the Lockyer Valley, like Grantham, will need a lot of rebuilding. I will advise you of anything significant. Other than that I am keeping myself available to help out. Brisbane's Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has said an announcement is pending for those willing to volunteer for cleanup.

Submitted Jan. 13 (5:30 a.m. local time) - "The level is down considerably and flowing away well."

I just got back from our dam. The level is down considerably and flowing away well.  Several water monitors plopped into the water but I didn't see any wallabies. Usually at this time of day I can catch one or two eating our flowers or trimming the lawns. Perhaps they don't like the rain. At least there will be plenty of feed around for them. There are two types of wallabies common to this area: the red-necked and the swamp wallaby.  I'd imagine the latter will be happier now than the former.

Although evacuation centres are still filling, the water has peaked and will remain high for some time [before] easing off through to the weekend. Then we can start the cleanup.

Submitted Jan. 13 (4:45 a.m. local time) - "Just a quick update on the bull shark."

Just a quick update on the bull shark: they are dangerous because they frequent fresh water and are quite aggressive. They are called bull sharks because of their nature, blunt snouts, and habit of butting prey. I am not sure that they do use iodine to tolerate fresh water. I have read that this has something to do with their ability to control urea secretion and special renal/liver functions. Their gills do alter in freshwater.

It is 4:45 a.m. and high tide has passed with the flood peak just below 1974 levels. The frogs kept me awake all last night so I'll have to keep my wits about me as I head in to work and do battle with my arch-enemy, the eastern brown snake. We do have a few of the brown snakes around our house but I haven't seen them lately. One attacked my friend Byron from Thunder Bay, Ont., when he was visiting two years back.

A cane toad sits inside a plastic bag at a billabong near Darwin, Australia. Animal experts say the recent Queensland floods could lead to a resurgence of cane toads. (David Gray/Reuters)

Submitted Jan. 13 (3:30 a.m. local time) -- "I was just boning up on snakebite first aid."

I suppose this weather will be great for future cane toad populations. We have heaps around our place. There are always two or three squashed on the driveway.

I was just boning up on snakebite first aid. A compression bandage will buy you six hours after you've been bitten by an eastern brown snake. But I would not want to try to get to medical help today. The facilities are all busy and many roads are closed. There was a small chat on local radio by a snake removalist. Apparently they are very busy now, as snakes move to higher ground.

One lady was trying to remove an eastern brown from her pantry. The trick is to stay calm, give the snake an exit and do not threaten it. I'll vouch for that, because the eastern brown has a very broad definition of threatening behaviour. The last one to attack me was irritated by me dropping my pants and sitting on the loo. He was stuck in a corner ... but once riled he had about seven strikes at me. I had to climb onto the cistern to get out of his way. They say a toy box is handy to contain snakes. I suppose you must remember to free the snake before reusing the box for toys.

It is 3:30 a.m. local time -- one hour from high tide. Tide heights have been revised and the flood is not expected to beat 1974. I think we dodged a bullet. Only one death in Ipswich so far, and about 20,000 homes flooded. A few thousand have been evacuated, but everyone seems to be coping well. We were lucky because the really big tides are not until Jan. 21.

Submitted Jan. 12 (11 p.m. local time) - "... this rain can flush out snakes."

We live on acreage near the Brisbane Koala Bushlands, about one kilometre from the factory. Since spying [a] dead koala I haven't seen any other dead wildlife. Even my arch enemy, the eastern brown snake that lives under our factory's electrical transformer, is lying low, although this rain can flush out snakes. The most lethal of these are the eastern brown and red-bellied black snakes. We do have deadly snakes on both properties, but I am treading softly and carrying a big broom. I did hear of a bull shark in the streets of Ipswich. Bull sharks are quite dangerous and responsible for many attacks because they live in estuaries and canal developments. They actually have a special organ that uses iodine to allow them to survive long periods in fresh water, so this situation can provide them with plenty of cover to work the crowds, so to speak.

Submitted Jan. 11 (5:44 p.m. local time) - "I hope it will be better for Brisbane this time around."

I am sitting in a Brisbane factory by myself, wondering what the worst of this flooding will bring. I wasn't here in 1974, the last great Brisbane flood, but I did emigrate from Canada in 1978. The first house I bought in Brisbane was inundated in 1974. A condition of purchase was flood insurance. I had to do some renovations in the attic and, when I crawled up there, found that silt was left over from the 1974 flood and covered all the wiring. So there I was, shovelling out silt, four years after the flood.

I hope it will be better for Brisbane this time around. We have better flood mitigation and drainage now but they say the water will rise higher. We are expecting a king tide at 3 p.m. [local time] so I will monitor alerts. Maybe I can help out. They were calling for some people to help shift people's gear to higher ground in Ipswich, which is just west of Brisbane, and that water is on its way here.

Brisbane will be OK, though we have good support and everyone pulls together. They are like Canadians in that regard, only warmer and a bit wet lately.

Are you contending with flood waters in Australia? Are you a Canadian living abroad there? Share your stories with the CBCNews.ca Community team. Email your news tips and photos to yournews@cbc.ca or send us a Citizen Byte blog post. You can also upload photos here and videos here.


More CBCNews.ca Community content

Australia flooding: Social media reaction

Derek Sciba is the marketing and communications director for World Concern, a Christian humanitarian organization. Sciba has documented its assistance programs in communities across Asia and Africa. Over the past year, he has also travelled to Haiti three times to help in earthquake relief efforts.

Summary:

Sciba was last in Haiti from Jan. 5 to Jan. 12. His role in Haiti includes providing raw video footage and photography to international news organizations. The CBCNews.ca Community team asked him to share photos from his most recent visit.

Patrick, a homeless man, lives in a tent with his wife and two children. "I care about the long-term welfare of the people who live here. When we talk about people in extreme poverty, you can look at families in Haiti. They live a life on the edge of survival. Every day it is a question of survival." (Submitted by Derek Sciba)

Eve Rose Douynen was living on the street until her house was repaired. Many Haitians live in refugee camps because of the devastation the earthquake caused. "My primary interest is to check in on the home construction and repairs. Those are some of the most significant ways we can help stabilize a family's life." (Submitted by Derek Sciba)

Health trainer Frantz Mildor gives training for the prevention and treatment of cholera at a local church. "I'm also seeing what's going on with cholera prevention. There is a lot of bad information out there, lots of rumours about how cholera is spread. When you give people the facts, and the tools, you are truly saving lives." (Submitted by Derek Sciba)

Widzer, a local Haitian businessman, has found employment and invested in his wife's small business. "I feel a personal and spiritual calling to help people address core needs in their life to gain stability. Once they see that they don't have to live for the moment, that they have a future, it changes everything." (Submitted by Derek Sciba)

Derek Sciba is the marketing and communications director for World Concern, a Christian humanitarian organization. Sciba has documented its assistance programs in communities across Asia and Africa. Over the past year, he has also travelled to Haiti three times to help in earthquake relief efforts.

Summary:

Sciba was last in Haiti from Jan. 5 to Jan. 12. His role in Haiti includes providing raw video footage and photography to international news organizations. The CBCNews.ca Community team asked him to share photos from his most recent visit.

Patrick, a homeless man, lives in a tent with his wife and two children. "I care about the long-term welfare of the people who live here. When we talk about people in extreme poverty, you can look at families in Haiti. They live a life on the edge of survival. Every day it is a question of survival." (Submitted by Derek Sciba)

Eve Rose Douynen was living on the street until her house was repaired. Many Haitians live in refugee camps because of the devastation the earthquake caused. "My primary interest is to check in on the home construction and repairs. Those are some of the most significant ways we can help stabilize a family's life." (Submitted by Derek Sciba)

Health trainer Frantz Mildor gives training for the prevention and treatment of cholera at a local church. "I'm also seeing what's going on with cholera prevention. There is a lot of bad information out there, lots of rumours about how cholera is spread. When you give people the facts, and the tools, you are truly saving lives." (Submitted by Derek Sciba)

Widzer, a local Haitian businessman, has found employment and invested in his wife's small business. "I feel a personal and spiritual calling to help people address core needs in their life to gain stability. Once they see that they don't have to live for the moment, that they have a future, it changes everything." (Submitted by Derek Sciba)

Do you have stories to share about Haiti? Email us at yournews@cbc.ca.

Do you have stories to share about Haiti? Email us at yournews@cbc.ca.

Bio: Bobby Hayes, 51, lives in Saint John. After volunteering in his spare time to help impoverished people and addicts living on the street for several years, he formed the Joshua Group in 1993, an organization that provides Sunday breakfast and activities for the city's at-risk youth. Hayes is a top 10 finalist in CBC and Outpost magazine's Champions of Change contest. CBCNews.ca Your Voice asked him why he volunteers.

My story: I would often go into some of the rundown houses to give food to people that were on welfare and old age pension. I would find these people sleeping in bus stops, garbage bins, old cars, park benches and old abandoned buildings. I would give them doughnuts, juice, coffee and a smile, and tell them God loved them. I kept my truck full of food to hand out as I went along doing my job street sweeping or driving a plow truck. Some nights I would feed 50 to 75 people. If I ran out of food I would go buy bread and meat and make [sandwiches] in my truck.

I remember going into a crack house and meeting a little eight-year-old boy who was scared to come out to meet me. So I left the food and my phone number, and he called me a few days later. We became good friends and he told his friends about me, so I could help them as well.

Next thing I knew, there were 40 to 50 kids. So I went and asked a church if I could bring them to church with me. They thought it was a couple of kids. When they saw all the kids, they were in shock -- it was too much for the church.

So I went to the park with all the kids, where we didn't have to worry about noise and the mess, just the weather. I got my barbecue and started cooking burgers and hotdogs.
Some days there would be 150 kids there.

Some of the trials that the kids went through were tough. Drugs were really taking a toll on the kids and their families and still are. I didn't realize ... how much the kids depended on me. If, for some reason, I never showed up, maybe because of work, sometimes the kids would call looking for me.

Seeing the poverty and neglect, I found myself down with the kids more and more. I was going home knowing I could not help with [enough] milk or bread. I just never had the money. I would go home in my basement, put a blanket over my head and cry, because I felt like I failed these kids and I didn't want my own kids to see me. I had a few of those nights.

I asked people to help, but all I heard was "not now." So, I started mowing lawns, digging ditches, painting, garbage cleanup ... anything I had to do, I would do. The kids helped as soon as I'd get off work. We'd load up the lawnmowers and away we'd go. We're still doing it.

We also want to share your stories of volunteerism. Tell us what volunteer work you do and answer this question: "Why do you volunteer?" We may feature you on our website as well. Let us know in the comments below, email us at yournews@cbc.ca, or leave a message on Facebook or Twitter. You can vote for your favourite Champion of Change here.  

Bio: Victor Fernandez is a firefighter in St. Albert, Alta. He immigrated to Canada in the 1980s from Chile. In 2000, he founded Canadian Aid for Fire Services Abroad (CAFSA), a non-profit group that gathers used firefighting gear and equipment to send to countries in need, mostly in Central and South America. Fernandez is one of the Top 10 finalists in CBC and Outpost magazine's Champions of Change contest. CBCNews.ca Your Voice asked him why he volunteers.

My story: In terms of effort and hours, I probably put in 40 to 60 hours a week sometimes for CAFSA. I spend money out of my own pocket and give up holidays from work that I'm supposed to spend with my family. But my family doesn't mind, because I put myself in someone else's shoes when I do this. When you're able to do that, compassion comes in.

There is something called the brotherhood of the firefighter, and my foundation was created in 2000 to help firefighters around the world. We most often go to south and central America, including Guatemala, Chile, and El Salvador. We're looking to go Nicaragua as well.

I began with two firefighter helmets to Santiago, Chile, that I sent to some buddies. Since then, we've sent five fire trucks and more than 800 pieces of protective equipment, including helmets, jackets, pants, boots, and balaclavas.

Bio: Victor Fernandez is a firefighter in St. Albert, Alta. He immigrated to Canada in the 1980s from Chile. In 2000, he founded Canadian Aid for Fire Services Abroad (CAFSA), a non-profit group that gathers used firefighting gear and equipment to send to countries in need, mostly in Central and South America. Fernandez is one of the Top 10 finalists in CBC and Outpost magazine's Champions of Change contest. CBCNews.ca Your Voice asked him why he volunteers.

My story: In terms of effort and hours, I probably put in 40 to 60 hours a week sometimes for CAFSA. I spend money out of my own pocket and give up holidays from work that I'm supposed to spend with my family. But my family doesn't mind, because I put myself in someone else's shoes when I do this. When you're able to do that, compassion comes in.

There is something called the brotherhood of the firefighter, and my foundation was created in 2000 to help firefighters around the world. We most often go to south and central America, including Guatemala, Chile, and El Salvador. We're looking to go Nicaragua as well.

I began with two firefighter helmets to Santiago, Chile, that I sent to some buddies. Since then, we've sent five fire trucks and more than 800 pieces of protective equipment, including helmets, jackets, pants, boots, and balaclavas.

It's a very intense procedure to take these trips, and it takes a lot of paper work.
 
Firefighting is one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Everyone else avoids a burning building, but we go in it. In Canada, we are protected 100 per cent, because the health and safety standards are very strict. We have top engineered jackets, great health care, but our firefighters are still getting sick.

The firefighters in these other countries go in with jeans and leather jackets not designed for firefighting, because they simply can't afford more. To properly dress a firefighter from head to toe costs probably $10,000. But if you look at it, $10,000 to save an individual's life -- it's nothing.

The impact we make is not only with the firefighters but the communities. The last mission I was on was in Chillan, Chile, after the earthquake last February. This city has a population of about 170,000 and eight fire stations. They lost four stations. They have around 800 firefighters, but only eight breathing apparatuses for the entire fleet, and only five were in operation.

We came in with 53 breathing apparatuses all ready to go. Each costs thousands of dollars, and this allows the firefighter to breathe fresh air, and go into a toxic environment to save somebody.

I can tell you this -- people in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean don't remember Victor Fernandez. They remember Canada. They say that "this fire truck is from Canada." That makes me, as a Canadian, very proud. In many of these places, they make a big ceremony when we go there. They have Canadian flags, they sing the Canadian national anthem ... it's beautiful. It gets very emotional. I'm a passionate guy about this.

We also want to share your stories of volunteerism. Tell us what volunteer work you do and answer this question: "Why do you volunteer?" We may feature you on our website as well. Let us know in the comments below, email us at yournews@cbc.ca, or leave a message on Facebook or Twitter. You can vote for your favourite Champion of Change here.