MONTREAL — Officials in some Quebec municipalities ravaged by past flooding say they fear possible financial repercussions for residents as the province prepares to introduce new flood maps that would greatly expand areas deemed at risk.
Five years ago, when a dike gave way in Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que., the rush of water forced more than 6,000 people from their homes. Residents have since struggled to rebuild their lives in the town just west of Montreal, but Mayor François Robillard says the new flood zone maps are sparking more frustration.
For instance, a property owner in a very high-risk area would not be allowed to build a new house on the property or rebuild a house that had been destroyed by flooding. “If they'd known that four-and-a-half years later that we were going to declare a flood zone … people wouldn't necessarily have invested here," Robillard said."They might have taken the government's money and reinvested it elsewhere," he said, calling the government’s change of course “nonsense.
“Since June, people don't know what to do with their homes here," she said, adding that the impact is being felt even before the new maps come into effect."I meet people every week, people who are crying, people who can't sell their homes today." Beauceville, south of Quebec City, has also had its share of floods. In 2019 an ice jam on the Chaudière River burst free, sending water and chunks of ice through the heart of its historic downtown. Some 100 buildings had to be demolished.
Joanna Eyquem, who specializes in climate-resilient infrastructure at University of Waterloo's Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, said poor communication and a lack of readily accessible information has contributed to the outcry in Quebec.
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