(Mont-Laurier) Work continued this weekend to reinforce the dike which threatened to give way in the Laurentians, where several hundred people were evacuated preventively a week ago.
In an update provided Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed that the situation is still stable at the Morier dike, which belongs to the Quebec state. The dike shows no new signs of deterioration since the appearance of internal erosion.
Martin Ferland, an engineer from the General Directorate of Dams of the Ministry of the Environment, explained at a press briefing that efforts were continuing as planned to inspect and stabilize the dike located at the end of the Kiamika reservoir, about twenty kilometers southeast of Mont-Laurier.
“There are no new observations made at the dike by our engineers this morning,” confirmed Mr. Ferland on Sunday afternoon.
“The work continues today, and finally, rest assured that at the work level, there are work procedures that have been put in place to ensure the safety of workers,” he said.
Due to the threat of the dike breaking, the communities of Chute-Saint-Philippe and Lac-des-Écorces have been affected by a preventive evacuation notice since December 3.
Authorities have warned that the advisory will be maintained until at least December 17. Mr. Ferland also stressed that work could continue even after the return of residents. No return is planned until the threat has been lifted.
The Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, should go to the site Monday morning, according to the schedule of the various ministers published Sunday by the government of Quebec.
The dike was built in 1954. It can hold 382 million cubic meters of water, the equivalent of more than 100,000 Olympic swimming pools.
If the dike fails, roads, homes and infrastructure downstream could be damaged by flooding or landslides.
According to the Quebec government press release published Sunday afternoon, some 1,900 people were evacuated.