‘The premier of Quebec lied to us,’ chief tells flood meeting
Gatineau residents express worry about new rules during public consultation
A public consultation about the implementation of new flood zone designations in Quebec got off to an early start when Guillaume Carle, national grand chief of the Confederation of Indigenous people of Canada, addressed the hundreds of people who filled the Palais des congrès Gatineau Monday night.
“It’s Hydro Québec that flooded us — the city of Gatineau knew it and did not warn us,” he told the crowd. “They have an obligation to protect us.
“The premier of Quebec lied to us — we heard the premier tell us on TV that he wouldn’t force anyone to move from their homes.”
The provincial government said last month it would refuse to allow homeowners to rebuild homes classified as more than 50-percent damaged by recent flood waters (or up to 65 per cent damage in exceptional circumstances). Those property owners would receive up to $200,000 compensation for the dwelling and another $50,000 for the land, provided they relocate to areas not on a flood plain.
Monday’s public consultation was meant to elicit feedback from residents affected by the recent flooding in the Gatineau area and present that information to the minister of municipal affairs, said Catherine Bellemare, regional director of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.
The province’s new rules — which have yet to be implemented — have caused anxiety among residents in the area, where an estimated 1,400 homes were flooded. One of the greatest concerns is how officials will determine the 50-per-cent damage threshold.
City councillors adopted a resolution earlier this month calling on the province to wait until the public security ministry completes its post-flood evaluation of property damage before evicting homeowners from land considered likely to flood again in the next 20 years.
In a 30-minute presentation, Bellemare summarized the ministry’s objectives:
To adequately manage the risks of flooding in the context of climate change, most notably by reducing the number of people and goods exposed in future floods
To permit, under certain circumstances, the reconstruction of buildings destroyed or severely damaged by the flood
To make sure that all of the affected municipalities and people impacted by the flooding be subject the same standards
Bellemare said that areas along the Ottawa River would be divided into three zones: homes with a 50-per-cent risk of flooding per year; those at a 15-per-cent chance of flooding per year; and those with just a one-per-cent chance of flooding per year.
Residents who have homes in the 50-per-cent category are those who will not be granted permission to rebuild.
Residents began lining up to ask questions and state their concerns before the presentation ended. Many were unhappy with the information presented to them.
Benoit Guérette, 55, whose home was severely affected by the floods, said he can no longer sleep at night because of the stress of the flooding ordeal.
It is still unclear as to when this plan will be implemented. Bellemare said there would be a forum for further discussions in the fall.