Residents of Val-des-Monts along McGregor Lake in West Quebec remain underwater; desperate for a plan going forward. Roads have been washed out by flooding since Good Friday; leaving many in their homes with no way in or out.
“What really annoys me is all this time we have had no call from our councillor, no call from the mayor, nothing,” said Carrie Whipple, who has lived on the lake for 46 years. The last time homes and cottages flooded in the area was 42 years ago.
“My son was born March 5th, 1976,” she said “No one helped us then either, I was scared to death.”
The township’s mayor, Pierre Laurin, said flooding surprised everyone last week; Val-des-Monts lost about 6 homes in 2017 compared to nearly 70 homes and cottages this year.
“We don’t know how much damage we've got to our own roads and infrastructures in Val-des-Monts itself. I mean culverts, small bridges, roads have been damaged.
Gary Whipple said the township wasn't prepared for major flooding; which caused several important roadways and bridges to be closed across McGregor Lake.
“They should’ve learned their lesson the first time but I guess they didn't.” said Whipple.
Mayor Laurin said residents along the lake were offered the opportunity to leave; some remained in their homes.
“We tried everything we could for sandbagging, and the firemen are always there,” said Laurin.
Linda Tanguay has lived in her home along washed out Whipple Road for 3 years. Tanguay’s home had 4 inches of water in the basement; she didn’t sandbag this year.
“It didn’t happen in 2017, so this time I thought nothing of it,” said Tanguay. “I love this place, to me it was paradise until this happened.”
Water levels have dropped on McGregor Lake in the past 24 hours; residents fear snow and rainfall could complicate matters in the coming days. It could be weeks before water recedes and city crews are able to inspect bridges and roadways.
