The Canadian Press
MONTREAL–Flood levels gradually are dropping in Quebec, particularly in the western part of the province, Public Security minister Martin Coiteux said today.
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,” Coiteaux stressed.
“We don’t control the weather so it’s conditional on that,” he warned.
“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 Gaspé region.
Authorities still were searching for a two-year-old 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 today.
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 while 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.
“Local authorities knew what parts of the town were more vulnerable than others,” Taylor argued, adding residents had to make tough decisions when they banded together to bag sand and rescue people.
“We had to choose what houses to save and which ones to let flood,” he noted.
“A group of residents and volunteers shouldn’t have had to make that kind of decision.”
Another local, Sylvie Briere, was dropped off outside her flooded home by a local man with a canoe.
Even though the water level had reached her front door, Briere was in relatively good spirits.
The floods, she said, have allowed her to get to know her neighbours.
“We have really discovered each other because of this,” she remarked. “We all worked together on this street.
“When the waters recede, we’re going to have a big street party. A community barbecue.”
