Trudeau tours Gatineau flood zone by helicopter; total 2,200 soldiers now helping in Quebec
Posted May 11, 2017 04:28:31 AM.
Last Updated May 11, 2017 01:57:38 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
One of the areas hardest-hit by spring flooding is the Gatineau region.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard boarded a helicopter Thursday morning to get a close look at the damage.
————————-
From Maclean’s: It’s time we stopped paying for your river view
————————
Several people packed the auditorium and cafeteria of the Polyvalente Nicolas-Gatineau School on Wednesday night, according to the Citizen, where they found out what they could expect from provincial disaster assistance through Quebec’s “General Financial Assistance Program regarding Actual or Imminent Disasters.”
The program only covers the essentials such as $150 for dishes, $450 for one TV, $775 for bedroom furniture, $600 for a washer and $450 for a dryer.
However, it doesn’t cover lost income, jewelry, sports equipment or even an air conditioner.
There is some extra relief for flood victims coming from the City of Gatineau. Affected residents can postpone their second tax payment, due by June 30, to 2018, interest free.
Questions still remain as to why the military wasn’t called in sooner, before water levels were knee to waist high, some houses were surrounded and several hundred had already evacuated their homes.
Meantime, even as water levels continue to decline in some parts of Quebec, Environment Minister David Huertel is warning that the situation could deteriorate in other areas this weekend because of heavy rain.
He says water levels are expected to remain stable in flooded areas in the Montreal area despite a forecast of weekend rain.
A state of emergency will remain in effect in Montreal until Sunday, where 243 people have been evacuated and about 400 homes flooded.
Quebec Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux says 3,882 residences in the province have now been affected by the floods and that more than 2,700 people have had to leave their homes.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says the military is deploying several hundred more soldiers to help with flood relief efforts in Quebec, bringing the total to 2,200.
