The spring freshet has given Lac-Saint-Jean residents a real headache, especially over the past weekend. While the lake reached a historic level last Sunday, at nearly 18 and a half feet, its level has begun to gradually decrease since Monday.
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Even if the residents are relieved to have avoided the worst, the damage is important for many. Residents must now be busy picking up the damage on their property.
Long-term work awaits them. This is the case for the citizens of the municipality of Métabetchouan–Lac-à-la-Croix, who were busy today cleaning up the numerous debris along the banks.
“In 2017, when that happened, we lost our beach, you have to calculate about 30 feet and more. It took five years for us to recover and there, we have another five years ahead of us to recover our beach”, noted a resident of the sector.
For its part, the municipality claims to have a constant follow-up with Rio Tinto. Mayor André Fortin mentioned that the City will now work to repair the damage to Le Rigolet beach, as well as to the municipal wharf. He asks citizens to report any erosion to the bank stabilization program. So far, about ten reports have been received.
Lac-Saint-Jean is famous for its beaches, which attract many tourists every summer. Will the current situation have an impact on tourism? The mayor believes that everything will be back to normal by the start of the summer season.
“We are still in May, we have time to regain the upper hand. At the municipal beach, we’re going to clean up, everything will be in order. Also at the municipal wharf. I’m pretty sure that all the municipalities will do the same as us. We are going to arrange so that tourism and that citizens can enjoy the beaches,” promised Mayor Fortin.
The banks were damaged all around Lac Saint-Jean, although some sectors were more impacted than others. This is the case of Saint-Henri-de-Taillon, mainly in the Wilson beach and Belley campground sectors. The person in charge of the beach also wants a mechanical shovel to bring the sand back along the banks in order to preserve it. Wilson Beach is considered the most beautiful natural sand beach in the region.
On the side of the municipality of Chambord, erosion has caused a lot of damage. More particularly in the Domaine des Marais sector. The mayor wants Rio Tinto’s help to preserve this “natural gem”.
Several citizens are protesting the situation and questioning Rio Tinto’s management of the lake level. Some believe that the multinational could have foreseen the risk more.
For her part, the minister responsible for the region, Andrée Laforest, refuses to blame the company for the moment. She prefers to give credence to Rio Tinto’s position on the exceptional spring flood, which broke records dating back to 1928. She is currently asking municipalities to provide her with a list of land and wharves that have been damaged.
“Rio Tinto is really sensitive to all requests from citizens and does not hide at all. I really claim that Rio Tinto will work with citizens. Now, if there are needs, I will be there and I will support the citizens with the ministries concerned. That’s not a problem,” reassured Andrée Laforest, minister responsible for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.
For its part, Rio Tinto began to fly over the banks at the end of last week to measure the extent of the damage. The multinational carries out work on the banks every year and says it is ready to do more, if necessary. The company says it is ready to collaborate and invites citizens to report all problem areas.
“Local residents can report erosion to us on the Énergie Électrique website. So energy.riotinto.com. And there is an online application tool on the Shoreline Stabilization Program page. People can make their request directly and we encourage local residents to do so, ”explained a spokesperson for the multinational, Malika Cherry.
A meeting will take place on Wednesday afternoon between Rio Tinto and civil security to take stock.
According to the multinational’s forecast, the lake should return below 16.5 feet during the next weekend. However, the situation remains sensitive due to weather conditions. Other rain events are to be expected, especially from Thursday to next Saturday.
Reference-www.tvanouvelles.ca