'It's on our minds every spring': Pierrefonds-Roxboro residents concerned about potential flooding

CTV Montreal: Flooding concerns Residents of Pierrefonds-Roxboro are pressing the province to reinforce a 40-year-old dike before potential spring flooding.

While the summertime view along the waterfront in Pierrefonds-Roxboro may be breathtaking, many homeowners are already looking to next year's spring with concern.

Residents living along the waterfront are concerned that a 40-year-old dike along the river won't hold if there's another flood. They’re pressing the provincial government to make changes to avoid a breech like the one that occurred in St-Marthe-sur-le-Lac.

Many properties, including Alain Marcoux's, are faced by a cement wall. Constructed more than 40 years ago, Marcoux says it's showing its age.

"It needs to be attended to because there's infiltration that comes from underneath," Marcoux told CTV Montreal.

But the cement wall isn't the only concern - the natural dike that begins where the constructed wall ends also shows signs of erosion that could be catastrophic.

When water levels rose in Pierrefonds-Roxboro in 2017 and 2019, water came within centimetres of spilling over the wall.

With the rest of the neighbourhood sloping downhill from the river, the overflow could have flooded the entire block.

"It's on our minds every spring," resident Louise Douesnard said.

Three hundred residents living in the area have signed a petition, hoping to bring their concerns to the provincial government. Liberal MNA Greg Kelley is promising to present it at the National Assembly.

But even Pierrefonds Borough Mayor Jim Beis remains unconvinced anything will be done in time for next spring.

"They're honestly probably so overwhelmed they can't address every area," Beis said in a phone interview.

"This is an ongoing thing in every area that has dikes similar to the one on 4th Street."

Residents say that now would be the perfect time to fix the walls and the aging nearby pump house, and want to ensure that their plea is heard before it's too late.

"We want to make sure the government doesn't forget about us," Douesnard said.

With files from Kelly Grieg