Saint-Leonard residents demand flood protection as summer storms loom
Residents at borough council meeting express frustration over decades of flooding damage to basements and garages.
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Saint-Leonard residents are escalating calls for flood protection measures as meteorologists forecast heavy rain this summer.
A group gathered Monday at the borough's monthly council meeting to voice continued frustration with officials over flooding that has damaged basements and garages for decades. "We need the money to do the work, because clearly the City of Montreal is in the red. They don't have the money, but the people are suffering, and we can no longer stay quiet," said Mario Napolitano, a member of the Saint-Leonard Citizens' Committee.
Experts predict above-normal rainfall and thunderstorms across Quebec this summer, intensifying residents' concerns. "Every time it rains, we're worried, we can't sleep, we can't go on vacation. It can't continue like this. Something needs to be done," one resident said.
The flooding has been recurring since the 1980s, residents noted. "People are not able to insure their properties, their property value has diminished, and it's time for action," a longtime resident told the council. Another added: "You cannot leave a city with decrepit understructure that is making our lives impossible to enjoy."
