Martin C. Barry
Deux-Montagnes mayor Denis Martin says the Quebec government has agreed to make an exception for the owners of around 150 homes in Deux-Montagnes which won’t be subject to rigid flood control restrictions as the provincial government had originally planned.
“The government gave us exception for the special intervention zone for the flooding,” he said in an interview last Tuesday with the North Shore News. “We got that yesterday.”
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Hearing on Dec. 5
According to the mayor, a special hearing by the government will be taking place at the Polyvalente Deux-Montagnes on Dec. 5 for any of the homeowners who may wish to raise further issues regarding the local flood zone situation.
“The special intervention zone that the government declared in July was a worst case scenario prior to the spring of 2019,” said the mayor, referring to the government’s flood strategy and response following the devastating 2017 floods.
Back to 100-year zone
“Deux-Montagnes and Pointe Calumet had been asking to go back to what was there in the spring of 2019. So we’re bringing back most of the territory to the 100-year zone and we were accepted yesterday by the government of Quebec. We’re happy about that for the citizens who were affected.”
According to Mayor Martin, the flood zoning restrictions revoked by the government would have affected the ability of homeowners to renovate or build. When the government issued new parameters for flood zones in recent years, some areas of Deux-Montagnes not normally considered to be at risk were included.
Negotiation paid off
“Some properties all of a sudden were in a zone where they were not before,” he said. “Some of these homes never got any water from flooding. So we were able to negotiate with the government to prove to them that those areas were not really in the intervention zone that was declared by the government back in July.
“So the residents who are there will be able to renovate their homes and go about their lives as they used to be. Because they were kind of blocked since that special intervention zone was declared. We were working to have that removed.”
Permits not possible
The government’s previous definition of the zone’s area meant the City of Deux-Montagnes couldn’t issue any renovation or building permits to the owners in question until the matter was resolved, Mayor Martin continued. “There were also concerns for people wanting to sell their property,” he said.
The change affects around 150 homes mostly between Ninth and Thirteenth avenues. In Pointe Calumet, the situation was similar, but more drastic since more than 2,000 homes stood to be permanently impacted had the flood zone rules been maintained in their area.
Christmas reminders
At the same time, Mayor Martin issued a reminder to all Deux-Montagnes residents that volunteers from Dépannage Saint-Agapit will be soliciting donations of non-perishable food on Sunday Nov. 24 for the charitable organization’s annual Christmas basket campaign. Paul Goyetche is the honorary chairman of the campaign this year. As well, he wished to remind all residents that the city’s 50th annual Santa Claus Parade will be taking place on Sunday Dec. 1 beginning at 1 pm.