Maniwaki long-term care home to be evacuated due to floods
Same building was impacted by 2017 floods
A long-term care home in Maniwaki, Que., will be evacuated today due to increased flooding in the area, forcing 67 residents out of their homes.
The evacuation of the Foyer Père-Guinard is a precautionary measure to ensure residents' safety as water levels remain high, the Centres intégrés de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais (CISSSO) said.
- Exhaustion setting in as Ottawa River levels begin to stabilize
- 'The 500-year flood': Dozens forced from homes in Whitewater Township
The health authority said it notified residents and their families Sunday afternoon. The evacuation will begin Monday afternoon and continue into Tuesday.
The building has not yet been damaged by the floods, CISSSO spokesperson Patricia Rhéaume told Radio-Canada.
Care home also evacuated in 2017
The same building was evacuated during the 2017 floods, forcing 60 residents to leave their homes.
Residents were unable return until the first week of June that year because the risk of flooding persisted.
That year, residents were moved to 13 different locations, including the Maniwaki Hospital, long-term care homes in Gatineau, and the Résidence Jean-Bosco. Some people moved in with their families as well.
In an earlier interview with Radio-Canada in April, Gracefield, Que., Mayor Réal Rochon said his municipality was ready to accommodate the residents of Foyer Père-Guinard in the event of an evacuation this year.