One-on-one government meetings with Pierrefonds flood victims produce mixed feelings

One-on-one meetings for victims of last spring's flooding hosted by Quebec's Public Security Ministry Thursday had some Pierrefonds-Roxboro residents feeling satisfied, and others not so much.

Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux announced the individual meetings earlier this month in a bid to improve communication after months of complaints from homeowners hard hit by the unprecedented flooding.

Spring flooding affected 286 municipalities across Quebec and forced more than 4,000 people from their homes.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro was one of the hardest hit boroughs in Quebec.

Officials from the Public Security Ministry, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and from the borough gathered at the Pierrefonds Cultural Centre Thursday to answer questions from flood victims about their inspection reports and compensation claims.

Jean-Charles Castonguay had his meeting Thursday and expressed satisfaction with the process. 

His Pierrefonds property flooded for the first time, leading him to pay out of pocket for pumps, sandbags, building materials and labour.

Castonguay said he submitted his receipts and went over his file Thursday with a government analyst with the power to make concrete decisions on the spot and process compensation requests.

He told CBC that the sessions were "well-organized" and that he was "very happy" with his experience.

"They say they will send me a cheque after its approved," said Castonguay. "It seems that the file is completed."

However, not everyone in attendance had such a positive review.

Karam Baryar had rented his property in Pierrefonds-Roxboro to tenants, and when the water came in there was no chance to prepare.

"The water came in overnight and it was up to the front door," said Baryar. "The whole main floor is damaged. We had some siding on the house that's damaged. The foundation on the side that the water came in is all cracked."

He said he came away from today's session with more questions than answers.

"We have to wait for the city to make its evaluation to see if we can repair the house or if they are going to demolish it," he said.

"They can't give us an answer today."

The meetings continue at the Pierrefonds Cultural Centre Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The province will be organizing similar meetings throughout the region, including in the hard-hit areas of Île Bizard and Île Mercier next month.