Prime Minister visiting Gatineau flood evacuees
Water levels on the Ottawa River expected to continue to rise this week
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is visiting a flood evacuation centre in Gatineau, Que., Wednesday afternoon.
More than 300 people have registered with the western Quebec city as victims of a flood that's reached major flood levels in some waterfront neighbourhoods and is expected to reach that status in more areas today.
Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, spoke with flood victims and volunteers at the evacuation centre.
They thanked the volunteers for their work.
"Once again we're here noticing and noting how the floods across the country are a challenge, here in Quebec and elsewhere," Trudeau said.
With climate change we're going to see more and more of these extreme weather events more regularly.- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
He pointed to the work all levels of government are doing to help residents, but said climate change is a new reality Canadians have to accept.
"We also have to reflect that with climate change we're going to see more and more of these extreme weather events more regularly. It means we have to think about adaptation and mitigation, and how we're going to move forward together."
Rivers still rising
Water levels across the region are not expected to peak until later this week.
Parts of Ottawa are also flooding, as are communities to the west such as Pontiac, Que., to the south in Lanark County and to the east such as Clarence-Rockland, Ont., and Rigaud, Que., echoing devastating floods in 2017.
- From Constance Bay to Clarence-Rockland, Ottawa River continues to rise
- Mississippi rising: Lanark County residents scramble to save homes
- Beyond sandbags: Quebec looks for ways to limit future flood damage
Trudeau is being accompanied by Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin and Gatineau MP Steven MacKinnon.
Le PM Trudeau visite le centre pour sinistrés et se rendra ensuite dans zone sinistrée <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/iciottgat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#iciottgat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Inondations?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Inondations</a> <a href="https://t.co/UtX7DF5pPx">pic.twitter.com/UtX7DF5pPx</a>
—@atrepsQuebec Premier François Legault visited the region on Monday.