Evacuations continue in Pontiac as hundreds of homes threatened

The western Quebec municipality of Pontiac is continuing with evacuations as water levels in the region threaten hundreds of homes.

Mayor Joanne Labadie said Saturday that the community is preparing to house some residents at the Tim Horton Camp des Voyageurs in Quyon, Que., at 60 chemin du Canal.

The facility has space for 108 people, she said. 

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Pontiac declared an emergency on April 19 as rising waters threatened homes. On Thursday, the community's emergency response team was told water levels would be "significantly higher" than they were in 2017, Labadie said. 

"Our number one priority over the last 24 hours was to save lives and evacuate the people most vulnerable in the beach community," she said.

About 500 homes could eventually be affected this year, Labadie said, compared to the 200 homes that were affected during the 2017 floods. 

Evacuations continue

The evacuations are voluntary at this stage but officials are urging residents to leave because first responders won't be able to reach flooded areas in an emergency. 

Several residents expressed frustration Saturday that their flooded streets were not being attended to by volunteers with sandbags. But Labadie said the municipality won't be committing resources on roads that are already impassable. 

"We cannot ask volunteers to go into an area where they're at risk," she said. "If the road is not passable with cars, then it's evacuated. And if it's evacuated, we cannot put resources in there."

Audrey Fraser was asked to leave her house on Anne Street Friday, though the roads had been washed out days before that. 

Despite the stress of leaving her home behind, she said she isn't considering moving out of the area, though staying will mean taking precautions.   

"We will definitely have to build up our road and we have a lot of things to think about if we want to stay there forever," she said.  

The Luskville Community Centre at 2024 route 148 in Pontiac is also open for evacuees from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. People leaving their homes after 8 p.m. are asked to call the Red Cross at 514-769-0426.

New protections for Quyon

Last week, public works employees built a dyke along Ferry Road to protect the village of Quyon in Pontiac from both the Ottawa River and the Quyon River, which is about to crest, Labadie said. 

"Without that dyke, much of the downtown area of Quyon would also be flooded," she said. 

In the past week, the municipality of Pontiac has closed roads, called in the army to help protect vital infrastructure and put out multiple calls for volunteers.

A woman was killed in the community last weekend after the road she was driving on was washed out by flood waters.

Sandbags are available at the Luskville Garage at 2024 route 148 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and volunteers aged 14 years and older are asked to gather there to help fill more sandbags, and to bring their own shovels and gloves.

Updated information can be found on the municipality's website.

Pontiac road closures

Officials are asking residents to avoid the following roads: 

• Chemin Anne.
• Chemin Bord de l'eau.
• Chemin Bronson-Bryant at Clarendon and 2nd Concession.
• Chemin Bruce.
• Chemin Cain.
• The end of chemin Dion.
• Chemin du Lac.
• Chemin Eardley-Marsh.
• Chemin Ferry.
• Chemin Gauvin.
• Chemin Gold Mine at 5th Concession.
• Chemin Mohr.
• Chemin Mulligan.
• Sections of chemin Murray.
• Chemin Proven between Beaudoin and 6th Concession.
• Chemin Rivière between chemin Mulligan and Highway 148.
• Chemin Smith.
• Chemin du Lac LaPêche.
• As well, chemin Westbrook and chemin Vielle Pompe are not closed, but are in bad shape and should be avoided.