'A pain in the butt': Chelsea residents still struggling with storm's aftermath

• UPDATE | The boil-water advisory lifted Aug. 21 and the request to reduce water use lifted Aug. 30.
• The state of emergency lifted on Aug. 22.

Chelsea, Que., residents and businesses say they're still struggling to return to normal following last weekend's flooding. 

The western Quebec town has been under a state of emergency since Aug. 10, one day after it was hit by intense rainfall from the remnants of tropical storm Debby.

The emergency declaration has let the municipality repair damage more quickly by giving contracts to construction crews rather than going through the usual council process.

• Chelsea issues state of emergency after Friday flooding
• Chelsea extends state of emergency for 10 days

Crews continue to work on washed-out roads and flooded basements. A precautionary boil-water advisory was also issued Friday after the subcontractor that manages Chelsea's water filtration plant reported a low chlorine level, according to a town press release.

All residents served by the municipal water system should now bring their water to a rolling boil for at least a minute before drinking it.

The municipality had previously asked residents to reduce water consumption until the end of August while it repairs damage at the filtration plant.

"It's been a tough week," said Mayor Pierre Guénard on Saturday. "The damage is tremendous for some of the Chelsea owners who [were hit with] a lot of water."

The municipality is receiving money from the Quebec government to help with repairs, said Guénard, adding that it will take weeks to fix up the areas that were damaged.

Advisory making life difficult

Much of the municipality is rural, but the central part of the town experienced no major flooding, Guénard previously said.

However, that doesn't mean central Chelsea businesses were left unscathed, with many scrambling to deal with the boil-water advisory. 

"We had to keep all of our clients hydrated, and we couldn't because we didn't have running water. So that's been hard," said Maika Spooner, who works at local distillery and bar Distillerie du Square.

"We had to buy a lot of bags of ice. And it's all of the little stores here in Chelsea, so it's not only us."

Establishments also need to boil water for simple tasks like cleaning tables, said Kim Strauss, one of the owners of Boulangerie Dans Un Village, a bakery on the town's main strip.

"It's a pain in the butt, but we get through it," she said.

Gatineau Park closures

The community borders popular Gatineau Park, which also was still partly closed on Saturday as National Capital Commission crews continued their own cleanup efforts.

Multiple local businesses told CBC that customers are down at a time that's normally a peak season — including at Nomades du Park, a bike rental company that relies heavily on visitors wanting to explore the park.

"We're really a seasonal business," said Sandrine Cossette Lavallée, who works there. "And usually people come out when there is sun and good weather."

A stretch of the Champlain Parkway between the Fortune and Gatineau parkways remained closed to cars, cyclists and pedestrians, while Fortune and Gatineau parkways themselves were closed to motor vehicles only.

The shuttle service to the park has been suspended until further notice, while O'Brien and Blanchet beaches are also closed, the NCC said in its latest update Friday.

Several trails are also closed or not recommended to be used.

A rainy weekend

With more rain expected this weekend, Guénard said in an email to CBC that municipal staff are keeping an eye on sensitive areas.

The current state of emergency will allow for quick intervention if any roads are damaged by the water this weekend, he said.

The state of emergency will be reassessed before it's set to end Tuesday, Guénard said, while the boil-water advisory is reassessed every 48 hours.