Residents from eastern Ontario to central New Brunswick are preparing for the possibility of major flooding over the Easter long weekend.
Quebec Public Security Minister Genevieve Guilbault said Friday that heavy rains could inundate many areas of the province.
In response to a request from Guilbault, federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said that he has authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to assist.
Parliamentary Secretary Steven MacKinnon told CTV News that people can expect to see soldiers on the ground in places like Gatineau and Laval.
The Canadian Armed Forces said in a news release that it is deploying 鈥渞econnaissance teams鈥� to New Brunswick, after a provincial request for help.
The community of Pontiac, Que., located on the Ottawa River, has received more than 30 millimeters of rain already, prompting a state of emergency.
In nearby Ottawa, volunteers gathered at an arena to fill sandbags. The Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board said all flood-prone areas from Lac Coulonge to the Montreal archipelago are at risk.
The ORRPB鈥檚 Michael Sarich warned that water levels could reach the same levels as during the 2017 floods, when more than 2,200 homes were affected in Gatineau, including 200 that had to be demolished.
鈥淲e haven't had any significant snow melt at this time so there is a lot of concern,鈥� Sarich said.
A City of Ottawa official predicted that the water will peak by Tuesday.
鈥淚t changes daily because it鈥檚 really dependent on the precipitation we receive and the weather conditions,鈥� said Laila Gibbons, Ottawa鈥檚 director of roads and parking.
Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, the mayor of Gatineau, Que., told reporters he is asking residents to 鈥減repare for the worst.鈥�
Jean-Guy Momy isn鈥檛 taking any chances. He told CTV Ottawa he had water 鈥渞ight up to the ceiling鈥� of his Gatineau home during the 2017 floods.
鈥淲e lost everything in the basement, so now it doesn鈥檛 look good,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not promising.鈥�
In Rigaud, Que., just west of Montreal, Mayor Hans Gruenwald Jr., urged residents whose homes are in the flood zone to seek shelter with family and friends.
He said those who refuse to evacuate cannot expect to be rescued.
As of Friday afternoon, only several families had left. Peter den Dikkenboer said that he doesn鈥檛 plan to leave, and he doesn鈥檛 even plan to use sandbags.
鈥淭here was a house down the road here. They had the house surrounded by a four-foot-wall of sandbags. Today that house is gone,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 make a difference.鈥�
Some Montrealers are also making preparations. Qazi Ajaz-Ahmed, who lives on Cousineau Street in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, says the 2017 floods caused more than $100,000 damage to his basement.
鈥淲e are very, very stressed,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll the stuff, we put upstairs.鈥�
Areas around the Saint John River in New Brunswick are also expecting serious water. Flood alerts are in place in Fredericton, Saint John, Edmundston, Maugerville, Jemseg and Grand Lake.
director Greg MacCallum said that people living in areas that have flooded in the past should expect 鈥渟imilar to worse conditions.鈥�
Jerry Power of Cambridge-Narrows, N.B., is hoping to prevent damage to his property. He spent Friday sandbagging around his trailer, expecting it would take about 300 just to control the water.
鈥淲e鈥檙e expecting probably tonight, tomorrow it鈥檚 going to really take a jump,鈥� he said.
