The town of Rigaud, west of Montreal, is racing against time so that homeowners who were victims of last spring's flooding have warm and safe places to live this winter.
Roughly 7,000 people call Rigaud home, but the flood left nearly 300 of the town’s homes severely damaged and in need of repairs. Rigaud officials already have at least 180 active files open on homeowners all relating to damaged residences and property.
“They came to meet with us and try to see what were the steps that needed to be done for the city in order to obtain a permit,” said Rigaud spokesperson Marie Andée Gagnon.
One of the challenges is the hundred people that Rigaud officials have been unable to find or even speak with since the floods. The town is worried some of those people may return without completing needed repairs to their homes.
“Especially with those hundred people that we haven’t got a chance to talk to and all those that want to do repair, maybe they won’t have time to do repair,” she added.
There biggest concern is that some residents might return home and then improvise heating solutions that could put their lives in danger. During the 1998 ice storm for example, a number of people tried using gas ovens, propane heaters and even barbecues to try to heat their homes with disastrous results.
On Friday, local firefighters went door-to-door to the 100 houses that have not been heard from. If no one was home, notes were left for homeowners to contact the municipality.
Of the 180 open case files Gagnon says the town has been working with citizens to help them find information or get financial assistance from the province, which has been slow in coming.
Even if homeowners get the necessary permits to start rebuilding their shattered lives, there is no guarantee they’ll be ready for winter.
Complicating matters is the Quebec government’s requirement that homeowners seek tenders for repairs from two or three companies or suppliers and then “choose the cheapest” bidder.
With so many damaged homes and a limited number of qualified tradespeople to complete repairs in the region, it’s likely that many Rigaud affected residents will find themselves in temporary lodging.
“That’s our biggest thing now,” said Gagnon. “We’re trying to work fast and see what are the needs. Trying to reach people and see if they need long-term or just for a few months.”
Rigaud has called on the Red Cross to help officials find apartments and homes for rent, in town. The organization has already started its work even without a contract being in place yet.
The town has also begun taking ownership of properties that cannot be rebuilt because of their location in a flood prone area - three of them so far. Discussions about what to do with the land will come later.
For now, housing people through the winter is the priority. Gagnon said she hopes Rigaud doesn’t prove to be Quebec’s “canary in the coal mine” on flood recovery, but with communities much larger than Rigaud going through the same exercises with similar strains on resources, she said it’s hard to imagine otherwise.