Eric Carle is on his way to get some food at a local grocery store and for the sixth day in a row, a boat is the only way he’s able to get off the island of Île Mercier, where he lives.
“We’re helping each other out because not all of the people have boats or whatever to get across,” said Carle. “The water is starting to go down so it’s all good news.”
Last week, the island’s only bridge was closed to vehicle and foot traffic, after water levels on the Rivière des Prairies began to rise.
Since then, two homes have been evacuated due to flooding and others who have decided to stay have been using boats to commute on and off the island.
But residents say the situation isn’t even close to what they’ve experienced in 2017 or 2019.
“We wouldn’t be standing here (at the start of the bridge) in 2017 — we would have to be at the top of the street,” said Île Mercier resident Pier-Luc Cauchon. “There would be two feet of water here, so it’s not comparable.”
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Cauchon says water levels have receded over the last few days and so patience among residents is wearing thin.
He’s wondering who is making the decision to reopen the bridge and when.
“The decision is taken in an office downtown, you know by these people — we haven’t seen them on the ground to come and see what the water is actually on the ground,” said Cauchon.
Ile-Bizard-Sainte-Genevieve’s borough mayor, Stéphane Côté, says he also wants to see the bridge reopen, but says it needs to be safe.
“There’s two things — I would like the people of Île Mercier to be able to cross easily, but I don’t want to have any incidents, too, so it goes both sides,” he said.
Global News reached out to the City of Montreal for comment on when officials expect to reopen the bridge, but has yet to hear back.
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