Builders, renovators flood back into Gatineau

January 3, 2018

Three months after paying out about $6.5 million for 724 water damage claims, the Quebec government has reversed an earlier decision and will allow homes to be rebuilt or renovated in the flood-prone Gatineau region.
The area experienced a massive flood last spring in a zone that is deemed likely to flood every 20 years or less.
More than 1,800 homes in Gatineau were flooded and the province received a total of 1,200 claims. 
Last June, the province had ruled for demolition without rebuilding because these sites are likely to flood again. But Gatineau council successfully appealed to the province for a waiver for some hard-hit areas.
As of November 1, 2017, 110 demolition permits had been issued for houses that were too badly damaged to be rebuilt. There have also been 232 permits for renovations to damaged homes.
There will be some restrictions on those rebuilding. For instance, all doors and windows, and the level of the first floor, must be above the level of a once-in-a-century flood. Also, there can be no living space in the basement.