Guilbault will inspect the situation on Îles-de-la-Madeleine after storm Fiona

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Deputy Prime Minister Geneviève Guilbault left for Îles-de-la-Madeleine on Sunday morning to survey damage from Post-Tropical Storm Fiona.

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“On Friday, we sent preventive reinforcements: people from the Sûreté du Québec, Hydro-Québec, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Security. We will meet with those people and take stock of the situation,” he said during a scrum before boarding the plane. “These people are tired and it is understandable that they are, since they have been preparing an intense intervention for three or four days. So we are going to thank them and go with them to observe the damage.”

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Fiona hit hard on Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Nova Scotia and elsewhere in Atlantic Canada.

The wind storm stopped around 10 p.m. Saturday in Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Guilbault said, but it is still affecting other parts of Basse Côte-Nord, especially Blanc-Sablon.

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As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday, just 255 Hydro-Québec customers were without power in the Gaspésie, Îles-de-la-Madeleine region.

“There were no deaths. There were no injuries. The main thing is always to make sure people are safe,” Guilbault said, adding that the road network had also been restored.

The municipality announced on its Facebook page on Sunday morning that the situation is back to normal for drinking water almost everywhere.

The only exception was Île-du-Havre-Aubert, where the municipality said wells had not returned to full capacity.

At last count, 37 people had been forced from their homes.

“Those people were redirected to commercial accommodations because it’s always more comfortable than a group shelter,” Guilbault said. “Because there weren’t that many evacuees, we were able to do it with the help of the Red Cross.”

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The minister announced that an office will be opened at the beginning of the week to help people affected by the storm. On-site assistance will be available to educate you on government programs and help you get started.

Guilbault stressed that a clearer picture of damage should emerge throughout the day.

“The preliminary information that I have been told this morning is that there is not much damage to the road network, municipal infrastructure or essential infrastructure. Obviously, we expect damage to the private property of certain citizens, so we are going to do the tour today, now that it is safe to do so.”

The Quebec government will not ask the military for help, as Nova Scotia has done.

It is not yet clear whether Quebec will apply for financial assistance from the federal government.

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The state of emergency declared by the municipality on Friday will be valid for five days.