The sector of La Baie exposed to the risk of a new landslide now has 180 evacuees. The fear of another ground movement forces the City of Saguenay to demand that Quebec declare a state of emergency to deal with the situation.
The mayoress of Saguenay, Julie Dufour, and the minister responsible for the region, Andrée Laforest, took stock at the end of the morning the day after an evacuation order which forced the occupants of 53 additional residences to leave the area where a house was swept away on Monday.
These evacuations are in addition to the 24 residences that had already been evacuated. Earlier in the morning, the authorities met the victims at the Théâtre du Palais municipal de La Baie.
Mayor Dufour indicated that Saguenay had filed a request with Quebec so that a state of emergency be declared in the perimeter targeted by the evacuation.
Meetings were held at 10 a.m. Sunday morning between representatives of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH), the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Security, indicated Minister Andrée Laforest, who is also Minister of Municipal Affairs.
” It will give the City of Saguenay the opportunity to make decisions, considering that yes, it is a state of emergency, but fortunately everyone is alive. “
It is up to the Minister of Public Security, Geneviève Guilbault, to sign a decree to declare a state of emergency, said Minister Laforest.
An “imminent ground movement”
Mayor Julie Dufour wanted to reassure the population, while the authorities affirmed on Saturday evening that the state of the ground in this place was comparable to that which caused the landslide of Saint-Jean-Vianney, in 1971, which cost the lives of 31 people.
” You have to be careful. It’s not the size of the landslide, it can only be compared in terms of geology. We can talk about the same system, but we must not scare people either. “
Right now it’s a risk of imminent ground movement, so for sure anything could happen, but our priority was to evacuate as quickly as possible. warned Carol Girard, director of the Saguenay Fire Department.
Minister Laforest said that 30 housing units from the Office municipal d’habitation de Saguenay have been freed up in the sectors of La Baie, Chicoutimi and Saint-Félix-d’Otis to accommodate the victims.
All options considered
Evacuations will be in effect for weeks, if not months, authorities have repeated. Mayor Julie Dufour did not rule out that some of the 180 victims may never return to their homes.
At the moment, you will understand that there is a counter-expertise, there are other expertises that are coming, she indicated. Are there houses that could be there with stabilization work, houses that will be able to be there without stabilization? Everything is possible.
The director of the Fire Safety Department stressed that the priority of the municipal authorities was to support the victims and ensure their safety.
” Our priority is to protect our population, to reassure our people. It is certain that our people are excessively anxious, it is very obvious. Everything is done to make the most precise expertise possible to see where we are going with this, what is the state of the situation, what are the possible options going to be. “
He maintains that the ground movement is not necessarily related to the heavy rains received in the last days and weeks. The residence that was swept away last Monday is one of three homes that were evacuated in April due to cracks detected in the embankment.
There really is a field problem there, which we are analyzing, but it is not necessarily related to the temperature we havehe said.
Work is underway to build a dike in the area.
The MNA for Dubuc, François Tremblay, was also present at the press briefing.
Compensation for victims assessed
Compensation for the victims was also part of the discussions between the provincial authorities on Sunday morning, said Minister Laforest.
Victims are worried about the compensation they could obtain if they are forced to move, while the market cost of residences has increased considerably in the last two years, compared to the municipal assessment.
Of course, we are still experiencing a particular situation in terms of property costs. Now, it was also discussed with my colleague Geneviève Guilbault and the fact also, of signing the state of emergency, will make it possible to analyze the situation. said Minister Laforest.
Victims have access to the programs in force, which provide assistance of $20 per day and maximum compensation of $260,000 for a house and land.
A land-use planning team from MAMH will also travel at the beginning of the week to La Baie, said the Minister.
Source: Radio-Canada
