Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac takes action against those fighting dike renovations

Residents of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que., will have no choice but to let crews reconstructing the town's dike onto their land, the town says.

Efforts to rebuild the structure have been met with stiff backlash — some living in the town west of Montreal say the new dike is too high and will obstruct their waterfront views and hurt their property value.

In particular, homeowners on des Érables Street and Mathys Street, which run parallel to the lake, have refused to let crews on their property.

So the town council called an emergency meeting Tuesday to address the issue, asking police and prosecutors to force the resistant residents to comply.

Mayor Sonia Paulus says she's thinking of the majority of people whose homes are at risk of flooding again next spring if the new dike isn't finished in time.

"A citizen came to a meeting, took the microphone and said: 'Mrs. Paulus, you've ruined my life,'" she said.

"But me, if I do not take action to raise the dike, how many lives do I ruin? It does not make sense. It's 6,000 people's lives that I spoil if they are flooded again."

Work on the new dike, she said, will resume Wednesday morning despite the protests.

The natural dike protecting the community west of Montreal failed back in April, sending water from the swollen Lake of Two Mountains into residential areas, damaging hundreds of homes and forcing a third of the city's population to flee.

Tuesday's special council meeting lasted only about 15 minutes, but it was packed with citizens demanding answers.

The atmosphere was tense and police were on the scene, keeping a close eye on the situation.

A community divided

While some residents say it's important to do whatever it takes to protect their properties, others don't want to lose their view — saying municipal officials have failed to be transparent and properly consult citizens.

Waterfront resident Serge Racette said the new dike will turn his town into an enclave.

"Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac is going to be a city enclosed by a six-foot wall," he said.

During spring floods, the water didn't go over the dike, he said —  a section of it broke because the city didn't repair the dike for about two decades. He said the city neglected its duty, mismanaging the structure.

"Now they are making a dike that is huge and way too big," he said. "It doesn't make sense."

But another resident, Costa Rapatsouleas, said he ended up with six feet of water in his basement.

"I have no problem if I have no more view of the water. I don't have a problem, I just don't want to live what I lived before."