Residents evacuated from Chibougamau have been flocking to Roberval since Tuesday evening. The mayor of the municipality, Serge Bergeron, salutes the “incredible solidarity” of his fellow citizens, who have mobilized in every way possible to lend a hand to the City.
“Right now there is incredible solidarity from the population, businesses and community organizations who are all ready to offer their service in different ways. We also see a lot of people welcoming people into their homes in Roberval. We thank them,” explained Mr. Bergeron on Wednesday, in an interview with The Press.
In his eyes, the tragic nature of the forest fires should not ignore this immense wave of support. “I knew people were very supportive here, but to line up to volunteer your name, to spend a night here making cots, to provide shelter in your own house, to see the pharmacies that do all the drug transfers, it’s incredible, ”insists the elected official.
Chibougamau, the largest city in Jamésie, experienced a commotion Tuesday evening when the mayor declared a state of emergency and announced the evacuation of 7,500 residents, including those in the resort area.
“The fire advanced much faster than we would have thought,” the mayor said calmly in a Facebook video. “We have time, though. We ask you to be careful and leave with the minimum of your belongings, ”she added.
“We were ready”
Given the urgency, Roberval then immediately set in motion its “emergency protocol” and an internal crisis cell, including the general management of the City, the municipal councilors and Civil Security. A simulation had also been made a few weeks ago, in anticipation of a disaster scenario. “We were ready and it shows today,” says the mayor.
At the start of the day, more than 450 people were already accommodated at the Benoît-Lévesque sports center, on boulevard de la Jeunesse. We expect to exceed the milestone of 500 citizens housed by midday. “Obviously, that excludes people from Chibougamau who use our campgrounds with an RV, or those who have family in Roberval. But we are there for everyone,” persists Mr. Bergeron.
Teams from the CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean are also on site to accompany the evacuees.
People are very anxious. The fire is barely 20 kilometers from their town. They are afraid of losing their house, they are stressed. The professionals are there to support them, to help them in any way they can.
Serge Bergeron, Mayor of Roberval
Online, solidarity is also felt. Earlier, The Press reported that proposals for accommodation and support have been pouring in since Tuesday on social networks. This is the case of Stéphane Bouchard, a resident of Métabetchouan, a town located about thirty kilometers from Roberval, on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean. “What is happening is catastrophic, he explained on Tuesday evening. These people didn’t want that. Me, when I saw [l’avis d’évacuation], I immediately offered myself. That’s the lesser of it. »
The father of the family offered rooms, but also space for farm animals and to camp, if necessary. “I have a family who told me that if they don’t find anything in Roberval, they will come,” he explained. I’m going to leave my phone open all night. I’m ready if anyone needs it. »
The Cree community of Oujé-Bougoumou, which numbers 900 people, was also evacuated on Tuesday evening. It is approximately 30 kilometers west of Chibougamau and 10 kilometers north of Chapais. At 8:30 p.m., the municipality of Chapais, also in Nord-du-Québec, placed itself on “pre-evacuation alert”.
With Lila Dussault and Emilie Bilodeau