(Îles-De-La-Madeleine) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to the Magdalen Islands on Thursday to offer Ottawa’s support to Madelinots recovering from the passage of the post-tropical storm Fionabut made no announcement.
Updated yesterday at 5:57 p.m.
Trudeau spoke with Acting Mayor Gaétan Richard, local fishers, elders and small business owners.
“We have investments to make and we are going to be partners of Quebec,” he promised in a press scrum on the edge of the water, in the historic sector of La Grave.
Accompanied by the MP for the region and Minister of National Revenue, Diane Lebouthillier, the Premier stressed the importance of helping communities better prevent the damage that climate change can cause.
“The reality is that we are going to see more and more intense storms in the years to come. […] We will have to adapt our infrastructures. »
He noted that beach nourishment has recently been installed to curb erosion. Merchants met by Mr. Trudeau said that this had mitigated the effects of the passage of Fiona.
Nevertheless, the water flooded many buildings, contractors having indicated that they estimated their losses at $100,000.
Martin Fournier, owner of the Limaçon jewelry store, estimates its damage less even though the water rose up to a foot high inside one of its buildings and a meter outside.
“(I estimate it will be) between $10,000 and $20,000 in damages. It’s not dramatic, but it still has an impact on a total income at the end of the season, “said in an interview the one who had also suffered the throes of Dorian, in 2019.
Mr. Fournier and other traders in the La Grave sector were busy Thursday drying out the inside of their water-infiltrated businesses. Dehumidifiers and heating systems were running at full speed.
“We are not covered by flood insurance. […] We have a lot of mutual aid between us, the merchants, so we helped each other to build (and) clean up, ”said Mr. Fournier.
Le Madelinot wants to erect his business on stilts, but he says he is facing long delays in obtaining approval from the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications because of the site’s heritage value.
Mr. Fournier would like Ottawa to push to get things moving faster, while other business owners also want to have pilings.
Fishermen met by Mr. Trudeau at the Pointe-Basse wharf also made their requests there. A wharf was damaged during the passage of Fiona since it accommodated more boats than it should have at the same time of year.
“There was so much pressure from all the boats that were there that the wharf couldn’t support it,” summed up a fisherman who was present during the storm, Denis Cormier.
The problem is that a crane is broken down and did not allow the transfer of the boats to dry dock. Another available crane could not be activated because it is not suitable for the dimensions of the wharf owned by the federal government.
“(The federal government must) act as its instrument to overcome this […] because the population of the Islands – at least, those who fish on the south side – are badly taken. »
The boats held on despite everything. “It came close, too close,” said Mr. Trudeau, pledging to look into the issue and to collaborate with the provincial authorities.
The Prime Minister traveled earlier this week to Atlantic Canada, a region hit hard by the storm.
Ottawa sent hundreds of military personnel to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, at the request of those provinces, to help clear debris, restore power and repair damaged roads.
No request for assistance from the army has been made for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Defense Minister Anita Anand, however, said the military stood ready to intervene if necessary.
Over the past weekend, Fionawith its winds of over 120 km/h, caused damage to roads, roofs and banks, in addition to flooding buildings.
Earlier this week, the premier of Quebec and candidate for his re-election, François Legault, also went to the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. He promised that the provincial government would cover “the difference, for everything that is not insurable by regular insurance”.
Mr. Legault has also pledged to invest 100 million against the erosion of the banks throughout the province, but has not advanced on a specific sum for the archipelago.