A group of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac flood victims are filing a class action lawsuit against the municipality.
Steven Proulx, who is involved in the lawsuit, says that the goal is to give residents what they deserve.
“I lost everything,” he told Global News.
Hundreds of residents gathered Friday night in the off-island suburb to discuss the class action, Proulx said.
READ MORE: Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac floods: Legault is hopeful
Gérard Samet, a lawyer representing the group, has confirmed he is preparing the lawsuit and said it will be filed in the coming days.
“The priority is to give the people what is owed to them, and then will we talk about pressing charges,” said Proulx.
Residents are accusing the city of negligence concerning the dike burst that sent water from the Lake of Two Mountains rushing into 2,500 homes and forced 6,000 residents to flee.
WATCH: A Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac homeowner was unable to contain her emotions after accessing her flooded home via kayak on the weekend.
As of Saturday, 832 houses are still flooded in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, leaving 5,506 flood victims displaced from their homes.Specialized work crews raced to temporarily repair the breach in the dike on Sunday, by adding gravel rocks and membrane.
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Saint-Marthe-sur-le-Lac mayor Sonia Paulus says the dike should be completely plugged by Monday. As waters levels in the Lake of Two Mountains continue to recede, there remains no permanent solution for the future of the dike and the area it protects.
Mayor Paulus says she will stand for her citizens.
“I do not want to force these people to move,” Paulus said. “They have to stay in their city.”
Premier François Legault said Thursday that his government is looking at several solutions. “It may take months; we need to study the different scenarios,” Legault said.
Water levels, she said, have lowered by five inches in the last 24 hours, but the state of emergency remains in place.
Public health officials also reminded residents of the health risks associated with contaminated water and to used necessary precautions when touching soiled objects.
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