The devastating impact of last Friday’s major water leak continues to weigh on the activities of several media outlets in the affected area, in Montreal’s Centre-Sud district. The Télé-Québec and Bell Media buildings, as well as the newspaper’s office The Itinerary, were flooded.
Télé-Québec is evacuated. The preparation of certain programs for Bell Media stations is now moved to the company’s Quebec headquarters on Nuns’ Island. The Itinerary is launching a crowdfunding campaign to help it get through the crisis.
“The Bell and Bell Media teams have been working since last Friday to [remédier aux] damage caused by the major water main break that paralyzed part of downtown Montreal,” wrote the Duty Katia Dionne, Bell Media’s Senior Manager of Public Relations. Personnel are being deployed to clean up the damage that affected the buildings located at 1755 René-Lévesque Boulevard East.
Several affected TV channels are already back on the air with modified programming. Live broadcasts from RDS and Noovo Info, including the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, now come from the Bell Campus on L’Île-des-Soeurs.
“The return of regular programming will happen as soon as possible,” adds Mr.me Dionne. The majority of content remains available on demand. Radio stations, for their part, are back to their usual programming.
RC and TQ
The new CBC/Radio-Canada building at the intersection of René-Lévesque and Papineau was spared from Friday’s urban deluge.
Some windows in the basement of the Télé-Québec (TQ) headquarters, however, shattered under the pressure of the water. In some rooms, there could be up to seven feet of water. The building remains evacuated. Staff have been instructed to telework. The building on De Lorimier Street, now without ventilation or electricity, will not be able to accommodate employees for several weeks.
The public broadcaster is currently assessing the extent of the damage. Technical equipment was stored in the basement. Archives were also stored there, but it is too early to determine what was lost in the floods.
Télé-Québec is broadcasting normally on television. However, the website is experiencing some technical problems due to the damage caused by the water leak.
The TQ building houses the office of the Press Council, the media’s court of honour. The water did not reach the ground floor, where the organization’s premises are located, but documents and equipment stored in the basement could be affected.
“The Route” Cries for Help
The Itinerary is known for its magazine. It is also a community organization that distributes, among other things, clothing and food to people experiencing homelessness. These goods were stored in the basement of the office on Sainte-Catherine Street East, which was completely flooded. Large quantities of food had to be thrown away.
There too, archives have taken on water, including dozens of copies of Traces literaries clearly visible on Monday on the sidewalk in front of the building. The sale of the publication carried out with renowned writers (Michel Tremblay, Patrick Senécal, Monique Proulx, Heather O’Neill…) on the occasion of the 30e The organization’s anniversary is used to raise funds.
The Itinerarywhich normally distributes meals to 150 people a day, should be able to offer this service again starting Tuesday. Luc Desjardins, the general manager of the place, put out an appeal to grocery stores for donations, but he indicated Monday that he had received little help since. “These are going to be difficult weeks ahead of us,” he said.
The community media outlet also launched an “urgent call for solidarity” on social media to restore its building. “Every gesture, big or small, will make a difference,” the message said. “Our basement has suffered significant damage, including our archives room, the linen warehouse, the classroom and the food preparation room.”
The newspaper is asking for the support of demolition contractors to restore the premises to a functional state. A call for donations of support ends the message.