Flood fighting continues across Canada
Military response in Quebec likely to balloon
Thousands of Canadians across the country are spending the weekend in a desperate struggle with rising floodwaters caused by unusually persistent rainfall.
On Sunday, Montreal became the latest city in Quebec to declare a state of emergency after three dikes gave way in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough, in the north end of the city by the Rivieres des Prairies. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said homes have been evacuated in that borough as well as on two nearby islands.
He said officials were prepared to remove people from their homes if they refused to evacuate.
“I understand that morally or psychologically, physically, mentally, people are very, very tried. We’re talking 24 hours in a row of people helping each other,’’ Coderre told reporters. “But sometimes we need to protect people from themselves.’’ Nearly 1,900 homes have been flooded in 126 municipalities in the province.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said that the military response to flooding in Quebec is likely to balloon.
“At the moment, since yesterday, there are 450 Canadian forces personnel on the ground in various locations across Quebec,’’ Goodale told CTV’s
“Question Period’’ on Sunday.
“The expectation is that by the end of the day today that number will likely have tripled as the Canadian forces add more and more resources to assist the civilian authority in Quebec.’’
Coderre said earlier Sunday
the city has 30 Canadian Forces personnel helping firefighters and other emergency responders with the flood response. “We have over 100 firemen who are working 24 hours a day, visiting door to door and making some evacuations,’’ he said.