The announcement of the relocation of 200 families sent shock waves through the Notre-Dame neighborhood in Rouyn-Noranda. While some citizens see this as an opportunity to leave an area where arsenic emissions from the Horne smelter are associated with an estimated increased risk of cancer, others view the coming months with sadness and anguish.
Since she learned on Wednesday that she will have to leave the neighborhood where she has lived for 30 years, Ginette Bédard has gone through the full range of emotions.
The consternation of the first hours gave way to tears and fear.
“It doesn’t suit me at all, or am I going to go, at my age, retired? asks the former beneficiary attendant, holding back tears.
In Madame Bédard’s neighborhood, The Canadian Press found that the snow, in several places, is sprinkled with black particles.
The CISSS of Abitibi-Témiscamingue indicated a few days ago that analyzes are in progress and according to Glencore, owner of the foundry, it would be dust from copper concentrate.
“We have known for a long time that there are problems with the fallout from the foundry” and “it smells, there is powder on the tanks, the lawns, the roofs”, explained Ginette Bédard, referring to the emissions. of the foundry which damage the street furniture.
Despite the health risks, especially related to arsenic, despite the smell and noise of large fireplaces, Ginette Bédard is very attached to the Notre-Dame district where her grandchildren also live.
“I was fine here, I was quiet here, I was happy, I have my habits” but “at the moment, I’m in total darkness, I’m discouraged, I’m very sad”.
His rent costs him $550 a month.
“I will never be able to find another accommodation at this price and where we are going to go, there is no accommodation in town”, worries Mrs. Bédard, wondering: “There are worse only me in the neighborhood, poor people who have misery, what are they going to do? “.
At a press conference on Thursday, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest explained that the 200 families targeted by the relocation “will be able to live in their homes until their new home is ready”.
A sum of $58 million should be used in particular to create new homes in order to relocate residents of the Notre-Dame sector. But the City and the government do not know where and when these homes will be erected.
The Minister also explained that financial assistance will be available for tenants who find a home whose rent is higher than what they are currently paying.
But Ginette Bédard is skeptical, worried and says she does not trust elected officials.
“They talk a lot about things, but the words fly away…”.
The City of Rouyn-Noranda and the Government of Quebec are aware of the delicate task ahead of them.
“Council will ensure that residents of the neighborhood affected by the buffer zone are informed and supported throughout the process,” Mayor Diane Dallaire said Thursday.
While some residents of the Notre-Dame district have been distraught since the announcement of the relocation, others see in this process an opportunity to leave a neighborhood that they consider dangerous for their health.
This is the case of Audrey-Anne Dostie, the neighbor of Ginette Bédard.
“I thought several times of leaving”, explained the young woman who intends one day to have children, “but not here”.
She explained that part of the reason she and her partner have not left the neighborhood is because of the high cost of rent elsewhere and the shortage of housing.
The apprehension of negotiating with the multinational
The Government of Quebec and the City will help the tenants to relocate, the owners will have to negotiate with the multinational Glencore.
This will acquire the buildings in the “buffer zone”, before demolishing them.
How will the multinational determine the value of the buildings?
“At the moment, the details are not completed,” replied the representative of the company Marie-Élise Viger, Thursday.
Marie-Ève Duclos, owner of a four-unit building, views the sale of her property with some apprehension.
“To what extent, me, as a citizen, will I be sufficiently equipped once seated opposite a multinational like Glencore to negotiate something? asks the owner, explaining that she is worried about “being the loser in this situation”.
Marie-Ève Duclos also says she is very concerned about what awaits her tenants.
“I have tenants who don’t have a car, they can’t be relocated outside the city, here they are next to all the services, the hospital, the schools, the pharmacy, it’s their neighborhood, their ties are here, that worries me,” explained the woman, emphasizing the magnitude of the task facing the authorities.
“There are as many situations to take into account as there are people in the neighborhood,” she summed up.
The Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest, promised Thursday “that a psychosocial support intervention team will be available at all times” for those who will be relocated.
The City of Rouyn-Noranda asks citizens of the Notre-Dame district to send their contact information to the City, through its website, or to call (819) 797-7111 to be kept informed of the various stages.