Prime Minister François Legault will travel to La Baie on Wednesday

He made the announcement on Twitter and Facebook shortly after 7 p.m. I will be in La Baie on Wednesday morning to offer my help and support to the population affected by the landslides. We won’t let you downhe said.

In the morning, the minister responsible for the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, Andrée Laforest, had not ruled out the possibility that the Premier of Quebec would come to Saguenay to meet the residents evacuated in the borough of La Bay.

If there is someone who is still on the ground, it is really Mr. Legault. My boss, he does just that, land, so there’s no problem. It’s important to listen and I’m not worried that Mr. Legault is listeningdeclared the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, who is also the Member of Parliament for Chicoutimi.

The Minister of Public Security, Geneviève Guilbault, is also considering coming to Saguenay in the coming days to discuss with the affected residents.

Quebec is studying the improvement of aid programs

The Prime Minister had mentioned earlier in the afternoon that Quebec is studying the improvement of aid programs in order to provide more assistance to the 187 residents evacuated to La Baie.

He mentioned that his government is considering this possibility, along with the Minister of Public Security, Geneviève Guilbault, on the sidelines of his visit to Sherbrooke, where he accompanied his candidate Caroline St-Hilaire.

We know that someone who loses their house in such a situation is entitled to $260,000, 210,000 for the house, 50,000 for the land. We will see if it is necessary to improve it. We also work with the mayor [de Saguenay] Julie Dufour, with the Red Cross, to be sure that we help everyone to find housing, then help all the families financiallyhe says.

François Legault expressed his support for the victims. My thoughts are with the citizens, he points out. He ensures that the situation is monitored hourly and that he receives a report on the state of things every day.

I understand it’s not fun to be told to leave your house, like that, quicklyhe adds.

He nevertheless recalled that ensuring the safety of victims and evacuees remains a priority.

” Safety is at stake and there should be no compromises. Now, we have people from the Department of Transport who are analyzing the soil, seeing if work can be done to save a certain number of residences. “

The Prime Minister had also expressed his support for the evacuated residents on Twitter.

Ottawa ready to support evacuees

During question period Monday afternoon in the Commons, the Conservative MP for Chicoutimi–Le Fjord, Richard Martel, questioned the Minister of Civil Protection, Bill Blair, on whether the federal government will be present if Quebec asks for the help from Ottawa.

Minister Blair had also assured Richard Martel of the support of the federal government, if Quebec so requests, during a meeting requested by the Conservative MP on Sunday.

The request can be made if Quebec decrees a state of emergency, recalled Mr. Martel, in an interview with Public place. Victims and evacuees could have access to assistance programs.

Minister Blair said to himself very open and indicated that he was monitoring the situation carefully, said Mr. Martel.

” He says he is open. He says that if he has the request from the provincial, of course he will listen, that it is important to him and that he has already helped in other places, with floods, natural disasters. “

The important thing is the communication channel. The important thing too is not to be taken abackhe said.

The Bagotville military base, located in La Baie, also said it was ready to lend a hand if help is requested by Quebec.

The process is that the provincial government makes a request to the federal government, and then the latter, with the capabilities of the Canadian Armed Forces, will make a request to the Bagotville base. Then, if we can bear it, it’s sure and certain that we, it will be our pleasure to helpsaid the public affairs officer, Captain Maxime Cliche.

Added nuances

In an interview Monday morning, the mayoress of Saguenay, Julie Dufour, suggested that it is practically inevitable that other landslides will occur in the area where part of the embankment has fallen off the 8^e Avenue last Monday.

Andrée Laforest, however, brings nuances to these remarks.

You have to be careful. I really trust the teams of the Ministère des Transports du Québec [MTQ] and the Englobe experts who are on site. We’re not here to know when it’s going to drop out, we’re here to provide all the support on the pitchsaid the minister.

” What we want is that it doesn’t pick up; but one day or another, the slope will have to be reworked and there will be stabilization work to be done. “

Minister Laforest also met in the morning with the emergency team of the Municipal Housing Office (OMH) of Saguenay. An emergency unit is in place to support those who are currently being evacuatedshe said on Twitter.

With information from Vicky Boutin and Pascal Girard