Climate Change

Craig Stewart

Quebec flood maps to grow by 40%

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiatve

The next generation of flood maps being developed by the Quebec government could spell out a nightmare for Hills homeowners who live in high-risk areas. 

According to Quebec’s Ministry of Environment, next-generation flood maps are being developed this spring. Due to climate change, the government expects flood zones to grow by a staggering 40 per cent. Insurance experts are sounding the alarm now that homeowners can expect big changes to their coverage—very high premiums or no flood insurance at all. 

“Although it is impossible to predict the outcome for a particular sector, it is expected that in the majority of cases, the next-generation floodplain maps will be larger following their new delimitation,” wrote Ministry of Environment spokesperson Josée Guimond in an email. “Sectors that were not previously identified on floodplain maps could thus become so. The Ministry estimates that the surface area of floodplains would increase by approximately 40 per cent in the next-generation maps, particularly due to the inclusion of the effect of climate change.”

In February 2024, the Desjardins Group announced that it would no longer offer mortgages to homes in some flood zones because the “impacts of climate change, including water damage, are growing in importance and causing substantial damage.”

Craig Stewart, a part-time Chelsea resident and the Vice-President of Climate Change and Federal Issues with the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) told the Low Down that these new maps could mean homeowners wake up one day and find that they can’t renew their mortgages. 

“Can you imagine: you go to renew your mortgage, and you’re on the Quebec map, as you’re now in a floodplain, and you didn’t know it, and now you can’t renew your mortgage?” Stewart told the Low Down. “This could happen, absolutely. And so suddenly everybody’s looking at this problem and thinking, ‘Oh no, we’re going to have to figure our way out of this.’ And unfortunately, Ottawa has dragged its feet.”

Stewart said the problems began in Calgary in 2013, when major flooding there led the insurance industry to pay out $1.4 billion in flood claims. The industry said it would no longer cover overland flooding—water coming in from ocean surges, lakes and rivers, or even heavy rainfall—because the flood maps were out of date. 

Stewart said the IBC then spent several million dollars mapping the entire country. In 2015, some companies started offering overland flooding insurance as a separate product for homes in low—or medium-risk zones. However, the mapping data showed that 10 per cent of homes—those in the high-risk, 100-year flood plains—would not be covered because “it’s not an accident; we know they are going to flood.”

“These are the ones inside the 100-year flood plain – it used to be once in 100 years. Now, it’s like every 20 years. We know they are going to flood.”

For this 10 per cent of uninsurable homes, Stewart said the federal government has stepped in and is working on a federal insurance program in partnership with insurance companies to offer high-risk flood insurance. According to Stewart, under the proposed plan the insurance company would charge a premium for the flood product and remit that money to the feds, who would “backstop the risk.”

The problem, according to Stewart, is that Ottawa has “dragged its feet.”

“These sorts of partnerships are very common, but in Canada, it’s taken us forever,” said Stewart, referring to places like the UK, France and the US, which have national insurance programs for flooding. Stewart said that these conversations started in Canada in 2017, and everything has now stalled with parliament prorogued until late March. 

According to Stewart, the bigger problem is Canada’s housing plan—thousands of houses are being built to address the country’s housing crisis, but there is no real guidance on how or where to build them. He said that  Canada’s building code needs updating so that contractors start building the right homes in the right places. Without new legislation in the building code, he fears many of these new homes will be built in flood zones and will be uninsurable until Canada catches up. 

“The insurance industry has been saying for years, ‘don’t build in high-risk places,’ and yet, municipal governments have continued to build homes in places where they probably shouldn’t be, and the federal government has kicked building codes for resilience down the road,” added Stewart. “It should be in the building code – ways to build wildfire resilient homes or flood resilient homes – but we’re not going to get to that till 2030. So now, as a nation, we’re building thousands and thousands of new homes because we have a housing crisis, but those homes are going to be built poorly, and they are potentially going to be built in high-risk areas.”

The Hills has seen its fair share of increased storms and flooding, including last year’s Hurricane Debbie aftermath, which left Chelsea in ruin. Multiple homes flooded, roads were completely washed away, and homeowners were left with debris and mud after landslides in Hollow Glen. 

Locally, the MRC des Collines is working with other regional governments—Papineau and Pontiac—to map local rivers and develop a new risk assessment for the area. However, La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux said it’s too early to comment on what those maps show, as they won’t be ready until next winter. 

No flood risk? Still pay more

Chelsea resident Stephen Woodley lives on top of Juniper Road, his home has never flooded and he’s never claimed flood damage with his insurance, but two years ago, he received a letter from his TD Insurance that flooding would no longer be covered on his insurance plan. To get flood insurance, he would have to pay more.  

“I mean, our whole economy is based on the single biggest purchase in our life, which is a home. And if we can’t get insurance on a home, you can’t get a mortgage, right?” Woodley told the Low Down. “We had a couple of big rain events right in Chelsea that flooded all kinds of people’s basements. My basement doesn’t flood, but I do have a sump pump. I’ve never claimed against it, but they cut it off.” Woodley said that TD did offer him flood insurance, but the premium was $1,800 per year. He said that if his basement floods, it would maybe cost $10,000 to fix it and with no flood history, he didn’t feel it was worth it to pay nearly $2,000 extra every year. 

“I live up on Juniper Road at the top of the hill, so I’m not a big flood risk,” said Woodley. “But they don’t care about that. I’m sure it was a blanket policy.”

Quebec says that storms in 2017 and 2019 cost the province more than $1.4 billion, which, aside from impacts on infrastructure, public services and the economy, can also lead to “socio-sanitary impacts, affecting both health status and physical, psychological and social well-being.”

Quebec’s most recent floods
  • In 2017, a historic flood affected 293 municipalities, including some in the Gatineau Hills, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,000 people. 
  • In 2019, a historic flood affected more than 240 municipalities, flooded thousands of homes, forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people and caused the closure of several roads. Municipalities in the Gatineau Hills were impacted.
  • In 2019, the sudden rupture of a dike in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac led to the flooding of more than 2,600 properties and the evacuation of approximately 6,500 people.
  • In 2023, flooding occurred in several regions, including the Hills. The failure of a protective wall in Baie-Saint-Paul caused a rapid rise in water levels, flooding nearly 300 homes and forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000 people.

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MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is developing a climate plan

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is taking action on climate change. With support from the provincial government, the regional municipal organization is in the early stages of developing its first climate plan.

The “Accélérer la transition climatique locale” program was launched by Quebec in February, to support initiatives at the municipal level that are focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent responded positively to the program, and Megan Heath was brought on board in May as the project manager responsible for the creation of the climate plan.

This type of plan traditionally presents the risks and opportunities associated with climate change, while identifying priority projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation, and different actions to support the local climate transition. The MRC is already well on its way.

The first meeting of the newly established climate plan committee took place on September 12. Heath says the committee was formed to ensure citizens and experts were equally consulted on various topics relevant to the plan’s development. “The committee provides a communication channel for citizens, agricultural producers, and environmental groups in the Haut-Saint-Laurent region who wish to make comments or recommendations, or ask questions,” says Heath. Invitations were sent to the 13 municipal mayors and directors general, as well as to representatives of groups such as the SCABRIC and Ambioterra, as well as the CLSC and the local syndicate of the Union des producteurs Agricoles (UPA).

Heath says the climate plan will play an important role in the MRC’s overall planning in the years ahead. “The relationship between citizens and the territory is fundamental in the Haut-Saint-Laurent,” she explains. “By considering the effects of climate change and the territory’s GHG inventory, the MRC and municipalities can work together to better prepare for the future and develop, implement, and optimize protective measures for citizens.”

The committee will address topics such as extreme weather events and the quality and quantity of the region’s water supply, as well as the impact of climate change on disaster preparedness for events such as flooding, forest or brush fires, and power outages. Other topics include the growing risk of Lyme disease and heat stroke, the prevalence of pests and diseases affecting crops, and methods for preserving the health of all types of living environments, natural environments, and ecosystems in the Haut-Saint-Laurent.

Heath says that along with the formation of the committee, the MRC will be “coordinating its efforts in urban planning, waste management, economic development, public transport, and public safety to find solutions for adapting to climate change and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.”

Much of the work to complete the plan will be done at the MRC; however, the regional council passed a resolution on August 21 to outsource the production of a greenhouse gas inventory to the CIMA+ consulting and engineering firm.

Once approved by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), the MRC will begin planning and implementing various projects that stem from the plan.

MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent is developing a climate plan Read More »

Is the Laurentides Region vulnerable to Climate Change?

Maria Diamantis- LJA journalist

The Public Health Department of the Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS) of the Laurentides region has released a pivotal report on the regional population’s vulnerability to climate change, known as the VRAC (Vulnerability Regional Assessment to Climate Change) project. This assessment aims to evaluate the potential consequences of various climatic and natural events, collectively termed as hazards, that could significantly impact the health, safety, and quality of life of the residents.
Key Findings of the VRAC Project
The VRAC project’s findings will play a crucial role in identifying the most vulnerable sectors and communities within the region. These insights are essential for raising awareness and equipping regional stakeholders with the necessary tools for planning and implementing effective interventions and adaptation strategies to climate change.
In the Laurentides region, certain hazards such as extreme heat, storms, heavy precipitation, floods, and drought are expected to have a more significant impact on the population than others. The report highlights that due to varying levels of sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and exposure to climate-induced phenomena, certain vulnerable individuals could be disproportionately affected. Furthermore, the levels of vulnerability to the effects of climate change also vary across different territorial jurisdictions of the regional county municipalities, depending on local and geographical contexts.
The Role of VRAC in Public Health Intervention
The VRAC report offers a comprehensive understanding of the direct and indirect risks posed by certain hazards to people’s quality of life. With this knowledge, public health officials and regional partners can proactively target adaptation actions to preserve the health and well-being of the population, preparing them to be more resilient to climate change.
Planning for Adaptation: The VRAC-PARC Project
The VRAC project is the initial phase of a broader initiative named VRAC-PARC, overseen by the Quebec National Public Health Institute. Following the release of the VRAC report, the Public Health Department of the CISSS of Laurentides is advancing its efforts by developing a Regional Adaptation Plan to Climate Change (PARC).
A Commitment to Strengthening Community Resilience
Dr. Éric Goyer, the Public Health Director of the Laurentides, emphasized the department’s commitment to enhancing the resilience and adaptation of communities to meet the challenges posed by climate change. “For the Public Health Department, it’s crucial to contribute to reinforcing the resilience and adaptation of our communities so that they can effectively confront the challenges associated with climate change,” says Dr. Goyer.

Is the Laurentides Region vulnerable to Climate Change? Read More »

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