Weather starting to co-operate, fire chief says
Water receding across island but number of houses evacuated still stands at 243
Montreal fire chief Bruno Lachance greeted reporters with a weather report.
“It looks like we won’t be getting too much rain in the next few days, so that’s promising,” he said Thursday morning. “We know it could change, but nothing alarming is coming, so we expect water to continue to go down.”
Lachance said water is receding slowly across the island, but the number of houses evacuated remained the same as the previous day, with 243 people out of their homes, 167 of them in Pierrefonds—Roxboro. Another 56 people left homes in Île Bizard, 18 were out of their homes in Ahuntsic—Cartierville, and one person in each of Senneville and Rivière-des-Prairies—Pointe-auxTrembles.
Firefighters continued to build dikes throughout the day, including a major one on Dauville St. near Gouin Blvd. that failed last week. That dike is near the evacuated Pavillon Pierrefonds, a residence for people with severe physical and intellectual disabilities, and where the Pierrefonds water filtration plant is located. A total of 400 Canadian Forces troops were working to build that dike, and the work was expected to last through the night.
A total of 19 dikes have been built or are being reinforced, Lachance said.
HOTLINE SET UP FOR COMPENSATION QUERIES
Quebec Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux is urging Quebecers who ran up bills trying to keep their homes safe from flood waters to contact a toll-free line to see if they’re eligible for compensation.
“Even if we’re in operations mode and are mobilizing all our resources, we have to think of the victims right now and act immediately,” Coiteux said Thursday during a morning update on the flooding situation in Quebec. “We’ve already started to hold information sessions across Quebec concerning compensation. The Public Security Ministry has a program that allows those affected to be helped immediately.
“I’m mentioning this because there are already 724 claims for financial aid that have been opened and money has been given directly to flood victims . ... This is not a program with a closed (budgetary) envelope. So as long as people have claims to make, the program will continue; there’s no limit. There are criteria, of course, but the first payments are for immediate claims.”
Coiteux said “immediate” claims for compensation could include costs for purchasing sandbags or other flood-fighting equipment as well as accommodation costs incurred after evacuation.
More information on the compensation can be obtained at the public security ministry’s website, or by calling 1-877-644-4545.
CRISIS MOVES SLOWLY DOWNRIVER
Coiteux’s comments come as the flooding crisis slowly moved downriver from the Ottawa River watershed toward Quebec’s Mauricie region.
While water levels in floodstricken areas of western Quebec continued to drop on Thursday, levels were rising in the area of Lac St. Pierre and were expected to continue to do so for the next few days; and the Mauricie region could receive up to 59 millimetres of rain by Monday, according to Environment Minister David Heurtel.
As of Wednesday evening, 173 of the province’s municipalities had been affected by flooding, 4,141 homes damaged by flood waters, 3,033 persons evacuated from their residences and 554 either washed out or reporting reduced capacity because of high water levels.
The number of landslides linked to heavy rains stood at 126.
TRUDEAU, COUILLARD TOUR FLOOD ZONES
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard are urging Canadians to dig deep and contribute to the relief effort for flood victims in Ontario and Quebec.
The two leaders took to the skies over Gatineau Thursday to survey the devastation in western Quebec wrought by recent heavy rainfall and an overflowing Ottawa River.
Couillard says Quebec is taking another look at the terms and the limits of its assistance program. He says $800,000 has already been distributed, with more to come from the province and the Red Cross.
Trudeau said the federal government has contributed $1 million to the Red Cross, and has assistance programs in place to assist flood victims. He also said that as climate change continues to be a serious threat, Canadians need to be prepared to deal with severe weather disasters more often.
So as long as people have claims to make, the program will continue; there’s no limit.
MEANWHILE IN CAPE BRETON
People in Cape Breton are keeping a close eye on a section of the Cabot Trail that reopened after being washed out by heavy rains. Victoria County warden Bruce Morrison says sections of the famed trail were submerged under water and impassable.
He said numerous homes in the area have flooded basements and the situation could worsen. Up to another 50 millimetres of rain are expected before skies begin to clear. Some roads have reopened with minor damage; others could be closed for weeks. Large culverts were washed out and the rain swept debris downstream, blocking the entrance to the culverts and causing flooding.