Residents forced from homes near Bell Falls Dam may not be allowed back for days
CBC News | Posted: April 27, 2019 5:26 PM | Last Updated: April 27, 2019
Dam must be inspected before people can return, says Hydro-Québec
It could be another week before residents of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Que., downstream from the Bell Falls Dam, are allowed to return to their homes.
On Thursday, water levels at the dam on the Rouge River hit the extreme limit for which the structure was built, triggering a mandatory evacuation process.
With heavy rain in the forecast, Hydro-Québec was worried the river's water flow rate would get too high, but it hasn't rained as much as was anticipated.
Still, it's too high to let people return home, said Hydro-Québec spokesperson Francis Labbé.
"Before we let anyone in their homes, we will have to wait for the water to get lower, and we will have to inspect the structure to be sure it's safe for everyone living downstream," he said.
The dam is still expected to hold up, he said, but the best case scenario is that those who were forced out will only return by the end of next week.
Officials said earlier this week that some 250 people total were encouraged to vacate the Grenville-sur-la-Rouge area.
Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Marc Tessier said police are regularly checking on the homes that were left vacant, as well as the handful of people who chose to stay in their homes.
Bell Falls, or Chute-Bell, is about 23 kilometres northwest of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, which is on the north side of the Ottawa River, across from Hawkesbury, Ont.