Chelsea Mayor Pierre Guénard said the workload to repair the damage caused by Friday’s torrential rains was “monumental” and that the cost of the work would be in the millions of dollars.
In an interview on the show Mornings here Monday, Pierre Guénard explains that the Municipality is in the process of establishing a game plan to determine what work will need to be done in the days and weeks to come.
All repairs that were made over the weekend are temporary and were primarily intended to restore access to all properties for residents to pass through, as well as emergency vehicles.
At the height of the crisis, Mayor Guénard reported that 200 residences were landlocked.
All of our residents are safe [lundi] morning. That’s our number one priority, he said.
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Chelsea Mayor Pierre Guénard
Photo : Radio-Canada
The state of emergency was declared in the Municipality on Saturday. The mayor believes that this is a very useful tool to carry out the work quickly. The expenses incurred this weekend did not need to be ratified by the municipal council.
Mr. Guénard is not yet able to quantify the value of the damage, but he estimates that it is in the millions.
The most distressing thing is that some of these paths [endommagés] have been redone in recent years, he explains. We would like to move forward and be able to take care of the other paths. It is a uppercut.
Roads closed and obstructed elsewhere in Outaouais
Elsewhere in Outaouais, all roads in Val-des-Monts are now reopened. However, traffic is alternating on Corriveau and St-Charles roads because sections of the shoulder have collapsed. The Municipality estimates that the work should be completed within 48 hours.
In Duhamel, a section of the Tour-du-Lac road is still closed.
We have a person from the Ministry of Public Security who will be on site. [lundi] to assess the situation, writes the Municipality’s general manager, Liette Quenneville.
In Gatineau Park, many roads and areas are still closed. Here are some examples:
- the section of the Champlain promenade between the Fortune and Gatineau promenades is closed;
- the Fortune and Gatineau promenades are accessible by bike and on foot only;
- O’Brien and Blanchet beaches and the Meech Lake landing stage are closed;
- trails are not recommended;
- The shuttle service is suspended until further notice.
Our staff and contractors are working around the clock to repair the damage and reopen boardwalks, beaches and trails. We ask everyone to be patient and cautious and to avoid visiting the affected areas, a spokesperson for the National Capital Commission (NCC) wrote in an email, in response to questions from Radio-Canada.
On Sunday, the provincial government announced that municipalities affected by torrential rains and disaster victims will be able to receive emergency assistance. The General Disaster Financial Assistance Program (PGAF) has been available since Monday.
With information from Maude Ouellet
