Quebec will not be asking for assistance from the army.
Author of the article:
La Presse Canadienne
Helen Moka
Quebec deputy premier Geneviève Guilbault took off for Îles-de-la-Madeleine on Sunday morning to inspect the damage caused by post-tropical storm Fiona.
“On Friday, we sent in preventive reinforcements — people from the Sûreté du Québec, Hydro-Québec, the Transport Ministry and the Public Safety Ministry. We’re going to meet those people and take stock of the situation,” she said during a scrum before boarding the plane. “These people are tired and understandably so, as they’ve been preparing an intense intervention for three to four days. So we’re going to thank them and go with them to observe the damage.”
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After meeting with local elected officials and observing the damage on the islands of Cap aux Meules and Le Havre Aubert, Guilbault said “it could have been worse.”
“The municipality’s level of preparation and response capacity, in support with the partners, have been quite impressive,” she said during a press briefing.
Fiona hit hard in Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Nova Scotia and elsewhere in Atlantic Canada.
The wind storm stopped around 10 p.m. Saturday in Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Guilbault said, but was still affecting other parts of the Basse Côte-Nord, especially Blanc-Sablon.
At 5 p.m. Sunday, only 67 Hydro-Québec clients were without power in the Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine region.
“There were no deaths. There were no injuries. It’s always the main thing to make sure people are safe,” Guilbault said, adding the road network had also been restored.
The municipality announced on its Facebook page Sunday morning the situation was back to normal for drinking water almost everywhere.
At last count, 37 people had been forced to leave their homes.
“Those people were redirected to commercial accommodations because it’s always more comfortable than a group shelter,” Guilbault said. “Since there weren’t that many evacuees, we were able to do it with the help of the Red Cross.”
The minister announced an office will be opened early in the week to help people affected by the storm. There will be on-site assistance to inform them of government programs and help them get the process started.
Guilbault stressed a clearer picture of the damage should emerge throughout the day.
“The preliminary information I’ve been told this morning is that there isn’t a lot of damage to the road network, municipal infrastructure or essential infrastructure. Obviously, we expect damage to the private properties of certain citizens, so we’re going to do the tour today now that it’s safe to do so.”
The government of Quebec will not be asking the army for assistance, as Nova Scotia has done.
It’s not yet clear if Quebec will ask the federal government for financial assistance.
The state of emergency declared by the municipality on Friday will be in effect for five days.
Unsurprisingly, advance voting was cancelled Sunday in Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
If meteorological conditions improve, voters will be able to participate in advance voting from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday, Élections Québec said.
Residents will also be able to vote at the returning officer’s bureau on Tuesday and Thursday.
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Homes washed away across Atlantic provinces and eastern Quebec as storm Fiona hits
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Quebec will help citizens who suffered losses because of storm Fiona: Legault
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After storm Fiona, PQ's St-Pierre Plamondon will visit Îles-de-la-Madeleine
