Quebec minister says flood situation improving

Flood levels are gradually dropping in Quebec, particularly in the western part of the province, Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux said Tuesday.

But Coiteux said Quebecers must be realistic and realize things will not return to normal for sometime.

“We have to be patient,” he told a news conference. “The situation won’t improve overnight. It will happen on a very gradual basis. We have major flooding in several areas and, gradually, the floods will become average and then minor.

“We are headed toward a drop in the water levels which will be complete only at the end of the month. We don’t control the weather, so it’s conditional on that. But we’re headed toward improvement.”

So far, the heavy rains and melting snowpack across Quebec have flooded 2,733 residences in Quebec, forcing the evacuation of 1,940 people in 171 municipalities.

The floods have claimed at least one life in the province – Mike Gagnon, 37, whose car ended up in a surging river in the eastern Gaspe region.

Authorities were still searching on Tuesday for a two-yearold girl who disappeared in the same incident.

About 1,650 soldiers are helping municipal and provincial officials in Quebec.

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the federal government will pay for the military-related costs.

“When Canadians are facing natural disasters or serious issues, we pull together, that’s who we are,” Trudeau said in Ottawa.

“Quebec and Ontario asked for military support and we’re happy to give it and of course the federal government will assume all the costs related to support for Quebec and Ontario in these floods.”

Despite the easing of various water levels, some people in the Montreal-area community of Deux-Montagnes continued to use canoes to get around Tuesday.

James Taylor borrowed his friend’s and said he’s acting like a water taxi, bringing people around to check on their homes.

Taylor said he feels a bit guilty that his house is dry and that his neighbours are suffering.

He believes municipality authorities in his town and others could have warned residents earlier that water levels were going to rise in order to give people more time to prepare.