‘We’re set up and ready to go,’ Pierrefonds mayor says
As if the coronavirus pandemic isn’t concerning enough, certain areas around Montreal are monitoring water levels and preparing for the risk of spring flooding for the third time in four years.
A section of Gouin Blvd., between René-émard and St. Jean Sts., will be closed to traffic indefinitely so Pierrefonds borough workers can lay permanent pipes underground for an industrial water-pump system.
“We’ve been making sure we have the equipment necessary, the pumps on standby and how we would proceed,” Jim Beis, the mayor of the Pierrefonds-roxboro borough, said Thursday. “We’re set up and ready to go. That doesn’t mean we’re 100 per cent safe. We never are when dealing with Mother Nature.
“We know what to do,” he added. “It’s just a matter of timing, making sure the equipment works and is in place.”
Beis said the city learned its lesson after dealing with flooding issues in 2017 and again last spring. While more than 700 Pierrefonds residents were affected in 2017, he said 95 per cent of community homes were protected last year, after the borough installed its own inflatable dikes and flood-blocking walls.
He said the water level on Rivière des Prairies is two weeks ahead of where it was at this time last April and the river could crest in five locations.
Workers have been preparing since early March, Beis said.
Along with sand-bagging some areas, divers have been installing balloons to block storm-sewer exits.
But while Pierrefonds has 30 kilometres of waterfront, Beis said they’ve been forced to prepare with fewer resources because of the COVID -19 shutdown.
“We have to be very careful how we support our teams,” Beis said. “We can’t have large groups of staff working around each other. That has created an added issue.
We have to be mindful of all the restrictions that are going on. It might not be possible to mobilize 1,000 people, like last year.
“The stress it causes in a community, and now with COVID-19 as well, you can only imagine.”
On Friday, the city of Montreal issued a statement for residents in high-risk areas, asking residents of Pierrefonds-roxboro, Ahuntsic-cartierville, Île-bizard—ste-geneviève, Senneville and Ste-anne-de-bellevue “to be vigilant and also encourage them to take all the necessary precautions when designing sandbags and building dikes.”
Beis said he has been advised by government officials that the Armed Forces are on standby and could be deployed within 24 or 48 hours should emergency conditions arise.
Ste-anne-de-bellevue Mayor Paola Hawa said the waterway linking Lake St. Louis and Lake of Two Mountains was below the flood threshold on Wednesday.
“There used to be a time, when spring was coming, you’d feel joyful and happy-go-lucky because summer was on its way,” Hawa said. “Now ... as soon as I see spring, the first thing that comes to mind is flooding. You keep an eye on it from the end of March until mid-may. That’s all you think about.
“You keep an eye on it constantly. You’re absolutely concerned.”
Hawa said residents in high-risk areas will be provided four palates each of sand bags should it become necessary. It also trained divers on staff to install balloons into the sewer exits.
But while Hawa said the city’s residents normally form a closeknit and helpful community, the coronavirus pandemic has presented an additional challenge.
“They’re very aware this year will be very different,” she said. “They know they’ll have to be pretty well autonomous this year. We’ll help any way we can, but we still have to ensure everyone stays safe. Everybody’s life is worth protecting.
“It definitely will be a challenge.” Twitter.com/herbzurkowsky1
We’re set up and ready to go. That doesn’t mean we’re 100 per cent safe. We never are when dealing with Mother Nature.