The roads of Chertsey were heavily damaged by the floods over the weekend, so much so that repair work could last until December, warns the mayor of the Lanaudois village.
“The Rochon, Michel and Lac-Paré roads will require significant work,” said Ms. Michelle Jolly, mayor of Chertsey. “We’re talking about over a million dollars [in repair costs],” she added.
The city, which has 56 dams and 110 lakes, received 120 mm of rain over 36 hours over the National Day weekend. Around a hundred citizens found themselves stranded due to damage to the road, which was impassable. Around thirty paths were damaged by the rain.
The majority of the village’s road network was usable Tuesday morning, although some traffic arteries remain partially closed due to rain damage. This is the case of the Nice bridge, where one lane in two will be closed, and heavy trucks prohibited until further notice. Other roads are also reopened to alternating traffic.
“We are in support of the municipality,” says Joshua-Ménard Suarez, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security. He explains that the majority of decisions are made by the City, and that the ministry plays more of a supporting role.
He gives the example of government engineers who come to share their expertise on infrastructure damage. “We also ensure that all [ministries] work together,” he adds.
The mayor was delighted with the security in the village. A rescue still had to be organized yesterday afternoon to rescue around ten campers in the Ouareau forest, near Chertsey. “The citizens were in the water when the firefighters arrived,” said the mayor.
“We are in crisis management,” says Julien Beaumier-Houde, coordinator at the Ouareau forest regional park. Bridges and trails at the site were “significantly” damaged, he said. He deplores the fact that parks do not have access to funding to repair their infrastructure, unlike municipalities.
The municipality yesterday asked Chertsois to limit their travel in the city for security reasons. The order was lifted for Tuesday. “It’s back to a little more normal,” argues Michelle Jolly.
