Ottawa resident starts petition to check in on his cottage in Quebec
More than 2,500 signatures call for access to rural properties
An Ottawa man has started a petition, which has garnered more than 2,500 signatures, urging the Quebec government to allow Ottawa-area residents to visit their cottages in the Outaouais region.
The Quebec government eased travel restrictions in several parts of the province this month, including the Outaouais — but not in the city of Gatineau.
Chris Ault, who owns a cottage near Alcove, Que., said he wants to be able to visit his property to ensure it's safe and secure during the pandemic.
"I'm not talking about staying for weeks on end right now," he said.
"I want to know that there isn't a gaping hole in the roof of my cottage because of a fallen tree. I want to know that people aren't living there ...[and] that people haven't broken in and left doors and windows wide open."
Lifting measures on Quebec 1st
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Quebec's Ministry of Health and Social Services said reopening the checkpoint between Gatineau and Ottawa is still "under consideration" due to the COVID-19 situation in Ottawa.
"This is why we are first lifting the measures inside Quebec, before opening to Ontario," the statement read.
Ault said, given the opportunity to travel to his cottage, he would buy his groceries and supplies in Ottawa, travel to his Quebec property directly and respect social distancing guidelines.
"We want to get to our cottages, non-stop, as quickly as possible," he said.
Even if he were to get sick, said Ault, he would drive back home rather than rely on Quebec health facilities.
"We're not stopping in Wakefield, Que. to go to the hospital," he said. "We're pushing through and driving all the way to Ottawa."
In an email to the Lakes Federation of Val-des-Monts, Sgt. Martin Fournel, with MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais, wrote that he's aware the current situation is causing "anxiety to many cottage owners who cannot have access to their residence."
As a result, the police officer suggested the community "identify one local and trusted individual who could carry out sporadic surveillance of [cottage] residences."
Ault said that strategy wouldn't work in his case because most of his neighbours are also cottagers and asking the few full-time dwellers to check in on everyone is an imposition.
"That's a big ask for them to go and regularly check all the properties on our road," he said.
"We have a very high population of seniors who are in isolation and they certainly are concerned about this," she said.
Labadie said she is also worried about the effect cottagers will have on the local health-care system during the pandemic given the rate of emergency room visits at the local hospital normally rises when cottage season begins in May.
"Their numbers go up ... by 30 to 40 per cent," she said.
Labadie said food security is another important issue because her municipality doesn't have any grocery stores. She said residents rely on dépanneurs which are already struggling to keep up with local demand during the pandemic.
"They are stretched as it is and have difficulty keeping supplies on the shelves to meet the needs of all of our residents who are working from home and not making the frequent trips into the city as they did," she said.
- No date set for lifting traffic restrictions between Ottawa and Gatineau
- Gatineau police set up checkpoints to limit interprovincial traffic
Labadie said she's aware that many cottagers have already returned to their summer homes and she urges others to bring their own groceries and supplies with them this season.
"Usually our local businesses really look forward to cottage season. It brings in a lot of business, but they're overstretched as it is," she added.
"We don't have any [COVID-19] cases, but we all know how quickly that can change," she said.
"With conditions being lifted, it's just a matter of time before we start seeing cases in our own community."
