Two weeks ago, Jean-Michel Plouffe was desperately trying to save his Montreal-area home from fast-rising floodwaters. Water was gushing into his basement and, within days, he was able to float a kayak through the living room.
Now that the water has receded, Plouffe is getting his first glimpse of the damage in his Ile-Bizard home.
âTVs, toys, fridge, stove, drier, washer -- everything that you use that you take for granted on an everyday basis, I have to get it all back,â he told Âé¶čŽ«Ăœ.
Itâs a harsh tally that hundreds of Quebec homeowners are doing this week as waters gradually subside. As of Sunday, more than 4,550 homes across the province were flooded by the record April downpour. Nearly 4,000 people were affected by emergency evacuations.
Flood insurance has only been offered in Quebec since March. Many flood victims are expected to rely on government assistance to help cover costs of unexpected damages.
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard has said the governmentâs financial aid program for flood victims has room for improvement, and that plans are in the works to roll out new rules by the end of the week. Among the changes, Couillard said the maximum amount of money that can be given to flood victims will likely increase.
In the meantime, homeowners are waiting for help.
âThey have to send the inspector, they have to send someone to make a study of the house and decide what they're going to pay,â said Normand Marinacci, borough mayor for Ile-Bizard.
But not everything can be replaced. Sonia Brown said she wasnât able to save some of her most priceless possessions when water swamped her home last month.
âPictures, records, my wedding dress. That one was hard. I didnât think -- youâre in such a panic,â she said.
Evidence of flooding can still be found in some of the hardest-hit Montreal boroughs, such as Ile-Bizard. But the city is confident that the water levels are steadily dropping, and officials decided not to renew the state of emergency this week.
Receding waters were also reported in B.C. Earlier this week, officials downgraded flood warnings in several B.C. communities near the Nicola River and the Salmon River to streamflow advisories. Okanagan Lakeâs water level was precariously close to its flood mark on Monday -- just 35 centimetres away -- but has yet to reach it.
In Ontario, officials announced that large parts of Toronto Island would remain closed until at least July thanks to flooding and rising water levels. In Minden, Ont., nearly 200 kilometres northeast of Toronto, floodwaters continued to drop on Tuesday.
With a report from CTVâs Vanessa Lee
