Relief on way for residents of St-Lazare in landslide risk zone

Residents of a St-Lazare neighbourhood that has been identified at high risk for landslides received some good news last week with the confirmation of an $8-million stabilization project for areas of Chaline Valley.

At a special council meeting on Feb. 22, Mayor Robert Grimaudo announced the town will receive a grant of $5.92 million from the Ministry of Public Security, which will cover approximately threequarters of the cost of the stabilization work. The remainder of the cost will be borne by the town. The work is anticipated to begin next year and it will take approximately 18 months to complete.

Richard Meades, a Chaline Valley resident who has been pushing for many years for the town to offer help for homeowners in the landslide zone, said he will believe it once he sees the project completed.

“This file has been dragging on for 20 years,” he said. “I’m 70 years old. I’m not going to be around for another 20 years.”

Meades said the stigma of living in a zone labelled at risk for landslides has taken a toll on homeowners, because it has made it very difficult for many to sell their homes.

Director-general Serge Tremblay said once the project is completed, it is expected the landslides risk issue will be resolved.

“There are 95 houses in a high risk area, and after the work, they will no longer be designated high risk,” he said.

Chaline Valley residents present at the meeting questioned whether a sector-specific levy would be imposed to cover the costs of the work, but Grimaudo said council has not yet made a decision on that matter.

The mayor said representatives from the town and the province will share more details at an upcoming information session exclusively for residents of Chaline Valley on March 28. The session will include detailed information specific to each address to explain how the planned soil stabilization work will affect each homeowner.

In 2002, the town formally identified the Chaline Valley as an area at risk for landslides after noting signs of erosion along the banks of the Quinchien River. In 2012, the town hosted an information session for residents in landslide-prone areas that included an evacuation plan. The town of Saint-Lazare initiated a request for financial assistance from the Quebec government for preventive stabilization work in 2014.

St-Lazare has four areas identified as landslide-prone. About 100 homes are affected in the residential area along the Quinchien River that includes parts of the Chaline Valley area, as well as sections of St-Angelique, Duhamel and Legault roads and Cité-des-Jeunes Blvd. The other three at-risk sectors are primarily agricultural, along Chemin du Fief and Chemin St-Louis.