Military will remain to help Quebec battle floodwaters
Posted May 7, 2011 05:07:06 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, Que. – A federal cabinet minister says the military will remain to help Quebecers battle floodwaters as long as necessary.
Christian Paradis toured flooded areas along the Richelieu river south of Montreal yesterday.
He said he was impressed by how fast the roughly 650 soldiers were building sandbag dikes and helping get people out of the area.
About 3,000 homes have been flooded in the Monteregie region — and some 1,000 people have been moved to dryer ground.
After a snowier-than-usual winter and heavy rain this week pushed the Richelieu River over its banks — widening it to up to one kilometre in some areas.
The sun came out yesterday, but the river continued rising.
It’s the worst flooding Quebec has suffered in decades.
Provincial authorities, meantime, are warning that flood levels are also rising sharply in central Quebec.
