Two days after the heavy rains in Saint-Élie-de-Caxton, the city of Mauricie is hoping for quick financial support from the Quebec government to prevent temporary facilities from failing during the next rain episodes.
The artificial lake at the Bivouak campsite in the community emptied during the night from Saturday to Sunday. The 136 mm of rain that fell within a few hours put too much pressure on the systems: one side gave way.
Picnic tables, paddle board stands, gazebo… Everything was washed into the lake, which quickly turned into a river.
The water connection was installed several years ago. A small dam was built to keep the water in place while maintaining a flow leading to another, more distant lake. It was one of the main attractions of the campsite and the owners hope to see it again soon.
“We can’t imagine anything other than having our lake. I don’t say to myself, “Ah, well, it’s flat, it’s a river now.” No. It is unthinkable that we leave it like this. We will have to rebuild. What exactly? I don’t know,” admitted the campsite’s co-owner, Mirelle Brind’Amour.
The damage can also be felt on the streets of the community. For example, in Range 1, residents were isolated for several hours because the road collapsed. Temporary work has been carried out everywhere, but is far from complete.
And time is of the essence as rain continues to fall on the area. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether the temporary installations will hold.
The municipality is on the list of disaster areas and is waiting for Quebec to send financial aid to repair the damage. If she gets it, the reconstruction will move forward.
“A small community with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants does not have the financial means to restore everything that was destroyed,” confirmed the mayor of the town, Charline Plante.
Residents who have suffered property damage are asked to report this to the municipality online. One thing is certain: there will be many who will ask for financial support.