Of the victims say they are abandoned by the authorities

Photo Camille Garnier
René Leblanc (the micro on the picture) has been waiting for more than six weeks we come to assess the damage suffered by his house in Pierrefonds during floods. He denounces a lack of communication.

Camille Garnier

Monday, 10 July 2017 22:28

UPDATE
Monday, 10 July 2017 22:28

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Hundreds of people affected in the floods in April and may have benefited from a public consultation Monday to Pointe-Claire to express their anger.

About 800 people, most of them affected by recent floods, are presented in this consultation aimed to present the implementation project of an area of special intervention in the municipalities affected.

This area of special intervention which will be established by decree for the purpose of preventing the construction or reconstruction of buildings on the plains.

It provides, in particular, to prohibit reconstruction of buildings for which the cost of the work represent more than 50% of the value of the building.

Six weeks of waiting

A lot of people have made the trip to express their frustration.

This was the case for Steve Paperback, a host of Pierrefonds, which, if the decree was adopted, could not rebuild his house.

“What I angry the most is not to learn that I could not rebuild this house in which my grand-mother has lost the life, he said. What’s infuriating is seeing that everything has already been decided without us, and that the decree is already written. “

Poor communication

M. Brochant explained not be eligible for any aid, because the house affected by the flood was a secondary residence.

In a tense atmosphere, René Leblanc, whose home suffered $ 150,000 of damage, took the floor on behalf of a group of thirty of the affected families of the rue des Masons, in Pierrefonds.

“It is a puzzle. We are asked for permits to do work, except that to get a licence, there must be an evaluation. Me, my evaluation, I was promised that it would be done in 15 days, it was six weeks ago. “

The man, who rents a condo in its charges since its evacuation on may 7, says they do not know who to contact.

“The government refers us to the municipality, and the municipality refers us to the government,” laments there. Their communication is all crooked. “

Worried for their home

Many of the participants were worried about what would be the amount of their compensation if they were forbidden to rebuild their home.

“I am told that the financial aid maximum is $ 200 000, but to me my house is worth the triple “, exclaimed one of them.

The representatives of the different ministries concerned have indicated that they could not provide answers to specific cases, but that they would take account of the remarks heard prior to the implementation of the intervention area special.

The consultation of Pointe-Claire was not the only one scheduled for Monday. In all, 17 public meetings similar took place across the province of Quebec.

The floods have affected 5300 homes in the 278 municipalities in the months of April and may. More than 4,000 Quebecers were evacuated during the events.