Le Genévrier campsite in Baie-Saint-Paul After heavy rains this week, floods hit the country for the second time in two months. revival of Very bad memories for the owners.
Several hundred thousand dollars are currently being invested to protect the site from a possible catastrophe like the one in May.
Due to the extent of the damage and the images of caravans being swept away by the force of the Mares River, the facility has become something of a symbol of the devastating floods of just over two months ago.
Photo of the flooding of May 1st on the Le Genévrier campsite. Photo Jean-François Racine
“We had a storm comparable to that of May Day, so we had to take emergency measures to protect the most sensitive part. Fortunately, the worst could be prevented,” said co-owner Bruno Labbé.
Even if the situation is under control, it’s a feeling that’s hard to describe, the latter confessed to the journal, as it’s neither more nor less 50 years of work and investment that is gradually being carried away by the water.
“It’s a shock. It is a loss for the family, but also for many people in the community. It’s not completely destroyed, but a large part of it is, and it calls into question the functionality of the whole thing going forward,” he said.
State of affairs on Tuesday 11 July. Photo courtesy of Louis Labbé
Still no help
A little over two months after the first flood to hit the site, the Labbé family is still awaiting government-pledged aid, while property losses are estimated at $12 million.
“We fear that the promised significant aid will not arrive as two months have already passed. They announced faster relief for the Estrie floods just under a week ago, so I hope the treatment will be fair,” says the co-owner.
To the bridge, chalets, grounds and infrastructure that are now unusable or have been completely demolished, we must add the cleaning costs as well as opening the campsite to less than 50% of its usual capacity. So he hopes to get a helping hand from the government as soon as possible.
Homes damaged by May Day floods. Photo courtesy of Bruno Labbé
“We have been told several times that there will be help, but we are still waiting for the government, so we are waiting to see how much support we will have to ensure the juniper’s sustainability,” he specifies.
Climatic changes
Despite these two difficult events, he does not believe that fate will follow the institution of the family, considering it to be a “new reality in the age of climate change”.
“Extreme climate events will become more and more frequent in the coming years. We see it everywhere every week and not just in Quebec. If nothing is done, we will have to get used to such situations,” regrets Bruno Labbé.
The Rivière des Mares has risen to almost the same level as last May at the Genévrier campsite. Photo courtesy of Louis Labbé
He also believes governments must take action to counter global warming, but that will be difficult as many still believe it is just a myth.
“As long as you haven’t experienced such events, you tell yourself that it will pass. It’s not 20 or 30 years from now, it’s happening now and the experts have been saying it for several years,” he concluded.