Chris Lowrey
MUN.OF PONTIAC Aug. 6, 2017
A personalized meeting day for flood victims in the Municipality of Pontiac saw close to 100 meetings take place on Sept. 21 at the Luskville Community Centre.
Flood victims were given the chance to meet with representatives with Quebec’s Department of Public Safety (MSP) and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy (MAMOT).
Residents in attendance were there to figure out how much relief money they were eligible to receive.
According to Municipality of Pontiac spokesperson Dominic Labrie, many residents who attended the meetings felt the money they got was not enough to cover the cost of repairs; while others were frustrated with the lack of information they had been given.
More than 130 claims have been filed by local residents with the MSP since floodwaters inundated the region earlier this year.
In order to qualify for government assistance, residents need to meet with a representative from the MSP who determines the extent of the damage to their property and how much it would cost to repair.
The estimated cost is then taken to the municipality where it is compared to the valuation of the property.
If the amount of damage exceeds more than 50 per cent of the value of the home, the resident is not allowed to rebuild and the building must be demolished.
Those who live in the 0-20 year floodplain will not be allowed to rebuild.
So far, the Municipality of Pontiac has received 20 completed files from flood victims. Out of the 20 files they’ve received, 13 are scheduled for demolition.
“Unfortunately, most of the claims we’re expecting to receive are in the 0-20 zone,” said Municipality of Pontiac recreation and community life co-ordinator Meghan Lewis.
The municipality has still only seen a fraction of all the claims that have been filed, the rest are waiting to be processed by the MSP.
The MSP has received 130 claims so far. Of those, the municipality has only received 20. That means that more than 100 still needed to meet with Public Safety officials before going to the municipality.
Fortunately, 98 residents were able to see a representative with the MSP. According to Lewis, this should help to get the process moving at the municipal level.
