Maple producer Jules Rochon is outspoken: he can’t wait to mark May 21, 2023 on his calendar as the first anniversary of the derecho is now over. The sign of a page turning.
Jules Rochon is standing next to a large uprooted tree on his property. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Hallie Cotnam
The storm destroyed 25% of its tapped maple trees, which were used to make its maple syrup. That corresponds to about 350 wooden cords, explains Mr. Rochon.
It took an average of seven months and four to eight hours a day to repair all of the damage caused by the derecho. The cleanup alone cost $56,000, and I’m conservative on that [dans mon estimation]he said, specifying that this amount is not insurable.
Although Gatineau and part of the Outaouais were affected by the derecho, significant damage was observed in eastern Ontario and certain sectors of Ottawa.
Researchers with the Northern Tornadoes Project mapped the damage along the derecho’s flight path around Ottawa. Each X in a circle indicates damage to trees visible by satellite. Red Xs indicate severe tree damage.
Photo: Courtesy of the Northern Tornadoes Project
A year on from this destructive and deadly storm, which is Canada’s costliest weather phenomenon of 2022, extensive damage is still evident on the ground, particularly in forests and wooded areas in Ottawa and eastern Ontario.
A good example of this is the wooded area that surrounds and overlooks the section of the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail in Navan, southeast of Ottawa. Trees that were once tall and straight are split down the middle and broken by the wind. Their delicate balance is maintained by the branches of neighboring trees.
The wooded area surrounding and overlooking the portion of the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail in Navan still bears the marks of the May 21, 2022 derecho a year later.
Photo: Radio Canada / Nelly Albérola
We are lucky in our unhappiness
However, the degree of damage in these most affected regions is not uniform. Some locations suffered slightly less damage than others, notably Larose Forest, which is part of United Counties of Prescott and Russell (CUPR).
Louis Prévost, Director of Urban Planning and Forestry for United Counties Prescott and Russell (file photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Christian Milette
We are lucky in our misfortune, admits the director of urban planning and forestry at the UCPR, Louis Prévost, speaking about the consequences of the derecho on almost 28,000 hectares of land that make up the Larose forest.
Larose Forest, considered a Natural Gem in United Counties Prescott and Russell (CUPR), was not spared by the historic storm of May 21, 2022. (file photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Denis Babin
The infrastructure was not affected and there was no damage where most of the hiking trails are. It’s mostly forested areas north of Bourget, where the impact has been strongest, he says.
Nevertheless, he was struck by the extent of the damage on site. The power of nature, claims Mr. Prévost.
However, other patches of forest and forests in the region were not so lucky.
Severe damage occurred in eastern Ontario after the May 21, 2022 storm. (file photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Denis Babin
About 14 km2 of forest was badly damaged or destroyed by the derecho, says Jean St-Pierre, president of Boisés Est, a French-speaking organization that brings together owners of privately owned forest lots in eastern Ontario.
“It’s a huge area,” says Mr. St-Pierre, who also owns a private piece of woodland. This is all the more serious as the destruction of these trees upsets the entire balance of biodiversity.
Jean St-Pierre is President of Boisés Est, an association representing private forest owners in eastern Ontario. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Denis Babin
After a year I would say that the majority of people have come to grips with their situation and have said, “Okay, I will or will do the necessary work”, even if it is sometimes very difficult work, which can certainly be very expensive Jean St-Pierre affirms, adding in the same breath that the financial support from the Ford government has not yet reached the members of Boisés Est.
Long-awaited financial support
The Ontario government announced in late March 2023 $5.5 million in financial assistance to communities and communities affected by the derecho and tornadoes in 2022, including $1.2 million for the UCPR Die Infrastructure was damaged on May 21, 2022.
A Hammond resident in the town of Clarence-Rockland cleans up the damage caused by the derecho. (archive photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
This financial support is very good news in itself, says Jean St-Pierre, who appreciates that this funding has been made possible by the municipalities. He claims the money hasn’t been paid out yet, but expects an announcement to that effect in the coming weeks.
Breakdown of the $1.2 million received by the UCPRs
$341,000 to the City of Clarence-Rockland;
$341,000 to the Alfred and Plantagenet community;
$541,000 to South Nation Conservation (which will distribute this amount to private forest owners).
Source: United counties of Prescott and Russell
Ideally, this support should have been available much earlier, says Mr St-Pierre. We are in a situation where […] These trees are dangerous, he explains, pointing to broken trunks that are six to nine meters high behind him.
“It is a dangerous situation for children who want to play in the forest […]. It’s a security issue. »
– A quote from Jean St-Pierre, President of Boisés Est
Although the money could arrive in the next few weeks, the cleaning work in the forest has to be postponed until autumn, as the birds are now breeding. Consequently, the trees cannot be transplanted until next spring, almost two years after the derecho.
solutions for the future?
As communities – and forest owners – fail to prevent future extreme climate events like the derecho, they try to organize and be as prepared as possible.
Louis Prévost explains that the UCPR is setting up a committee and developing a plan to tackle climate change.
Hawkesbury in eastern Ontario also had to deal with the derecho and its consequences. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Denis Babin
There’s still a lot to do, but I think every little thing will help, he adds. It’s a long process […]. I think we need to be role models to encourage people to do more too.
“I think we are tiny compared to what can happen to the environment. And the damage it can cause… I think we need to react […] and take steps to prevent them. »
– A quote from Louis Prévost, Director of Urban Planning and Forestry at UCPR
For its part, the City of Ottawa is lagging behind on its stated goals, particularly on climate change resilience, including the development of a climate resilience strategy.
Consultations for the strategy should begin in late April, the City of Ottawa’s Environment and Climate Change Committee said in mid-April.
Damage from the Derecho in Ottawa (File Photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press
Across the Ottawa River, the mayor of the city of Gatineau, France Bélisle, affirms that there is a committee of experts who will come to us with recommendations, who have looked at the situation of the recent crises in Gatineau and who offer us various suggestions can. This will be presented to City Council in the coming months.
She wants the considerations and proposed solutions to go beyond controlling vegetation, for example, near electric cables. It’s a solution that, although it can make a difference in the short term, must be accompanied by a much broader philosophy in Quebec, believes France Bélisle.
High winds also caused damage in Gatineau. In this photo a tree fell on a fence and neighboring property in the Hull sector. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio Canada / Nathalie Tremblay
For example, the burial of lines, the dual energy, our dependence on one type or another of electricity or gas, that reflection is bigger and doesn’t belong to the city, she continues.
To improve climate resilience, innovative solutions such as honeycomb pavement could be considered, but this requires investment, which is difficult as a city.
“We, like Ville, Gatineau and other Quebec cities, are asking the Quebec government to share the same sense of urgency we have in making the necessary investments.”
– A quote from France Bélisle, Mayor of Gatineau
What about private forest owners? Jean St-Pierre proposes, among other things, a diversification of the trees planted, which can complement each other well at the root level.
Boisés Est is also planning a workshop with experts towards the end of May to find solutions to make forests more resilient in the future in the face of impending weather events.
In collaboration with Nelly Albérola