Quebec Premier François Legault returned to Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac on Thursday as residents continue to cope with flood damages.
While some residents have returned home after a partial lift of the evacuation order on Tuesday, others will have to wait longer.
“We expect the majority of the people to have access to their homes within a week, but for the permanent solution, it might take months,” Legault said on Thursday.
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His priority, he said, is to ensure that residents have all the basic needs. “We will take care of you.”
He also announced that he would appoint a person from the flood action plan committee, lead by Minister of Public Safety Geneviève Guilbault, exclusively for Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac.
READ MORE: Quebec flooding: Premier François Legault says situation stable or improving across the province
The fate of some residents remains in limbo as they will have to decide whether to move out or to renovate their flooded homes. The government is offering residents up to $250,000 in incentives to move and up to $100,000 for renovations.
The mayor of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Sonia Paulus, said that she would like to see as many residents as possible come back into their homes, but authorities will first have take a serious look into the dike failure that caused a third of the off-island suburb to flood, in order to determine if it will be rebuilt.
READ MORE: No timeline for when evacuees can return home in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac after dike failure
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