In Lac des Seize Iles, cleanup begins after landslides

CTV Montreal: Disaster in cottageland Natural disaster in Lac au Seize Iles has caused serious damage, Rob Lurie reports.

A massive cleanup began Saturday in Lac des Seize Iles, a small Laurentian town that was hit by landslides earlier this week.

Homes were dragged into the water, while dozens of boathouses and other property were also damaged.

In all, six homes are no longer inhabitable after experts warned the ground they stand on is at risk.

Three of the destroyed homes are cottages while the other three are primary homes.

About 25 boathouses and garages were also ruined.

Rosa Yates just found out Saturday that she's homeless and will have to move in with family in Montreal.

“We still have a son who goes to school in Morin Heights, and now he's homeless and school-less,” she said.

Residents are getting some help from 150 people from their community who are volunteering their time.

Catherine Wensley says it's just that type of close-knit community

“We needed to support each other,” she said.

“This is a real tragedy and they need help.”

Area firefighters are also pitching-in retrieving gas and oil that spilled into the lake.

But it's slow and dangerous work, as the thinning ice keeps giving way.

What they aren’t getting, so far, is help from their insurance companies.

Most policies don't cover natural disasters, and there's also limited coverage on secondary homes, which means some of the affected residents will have hefty bills

Mayor Yves Baillargeon met Saturday with the newly-elected Liberal MNA for the region.

Baillargeon said he’s been told there will be no compensation or grants for the people who lost their homes.

The problem is the government is still in transition mode -- it doesn't even have a public security minister yet.

So all area MNA Yves St. Denis could tell his constituents is that he'll try to help as best he can.

Yates' family is banking on that help. They stand to lose almost everything they have.

“We are Canadians when there's a disaster in other countries we go and help them - what about us?” she said.