Ottawa River flooding forcing some Gatineau, Que. residents from homes

As the canadian capital River glut ethel waters in general stabilise, one of the major cities along its shoreline says some residents have left their homes and many more have registered with the Red Cross for help.

Officials in Gatineau, Que., said Wednesday that a dozen residents had voluntarily been evacuated, while more than 100 had requested services from the Red Cross.

Nearly 200 buildings have flooded, the city said, and about 300 more are at risk.

Thirteen of the city's roadways between Pointe-Gatineau and Buckingham are now accessible only by boat, they added.

Anyone who wants help leaving a flooded home should call 311 to reach the city, which can then send firefighters in either a truck or boat. A support centre remains open at the sports complex at 850 boulevard de la Gappe, officials said.

Sandbag stations remain in the hardest hit area, and the city is also setting up waste containers there.

Traversiers Bourbonnais, the ferry between Gatineau's Masson-Angers area and Cumberland in east Ottawa, suspended operations Tuesday evening because of the river's rapid rise.

The Ecolos ferry between Clarence-Rockland, Ont., and Thurso, Que., is also closed.

The City of Ottawa lists 11 road closures and 15 sandbag stations as part of its flooding response, which is concentrated in Constance Bay, Cumberland, Fitzroy Harbour and Orléans.

Other municipalities along the river, such as Whitewater Region, Ont., and Fort-Coulonge., Que., are also supporting flood-affected people and places.

Residents should check with their specific municipalities for more details.

West Carleton high school students fill sandbags to fight off floods

It's now the fourth big spring flood along the Ottawa River over the last 10 years, with previous flooding in 2017, 2019 and 2023.

The spring of 2019 set high-water records from the Pembroke area to the Britannia area west of downtown Ottawa.

Hull in downtown Gatineau and Thurso, Que., experieced record peaks in 2017.

It's likely little solace to people either leaving or working furiously to protect their homes or businesses, but the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board that manages and monitors its waters said levels are expected to crest, for now, just below levels seen in 2023.

In the longer-term, the board expects water levels to slowly drop from Lac Coulonge further east, or downstream.

There's a risk of a second rise is across the watershed, but the board said the highest risk of that happening is upstream, or west, of Lac Coulonge because of how the spring melt usually works.

Water levels expected to stabilize on Ottawa River

This year's flooding is a combination of the usual spring melt, a significant amount of snow in the northern reaches of the watershed, and a heavy dose of rain in mid-April.

The board did say in its Tuesday afternoon update that the water level in the Pembroke area was forecast to rise about five centimetres a day until Friday — as far as its forecast goes — because of melting snow much further north.

It issues its daily updates this time of year around 4 p.m.

Outside of the Ottawa River, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority upgraded a flood watch to a flood warning for Dalhousie Lake and flood-prone areas of the river on Wednesday.

That means flooding is happening or likely about to happen in those areas. People should take precautions like checking sump pumps and moving valuables from basements, the authority said.

None of eastern Ontario's five other conservation authorities, nor the area further north watched by the Ministry of Natural Resources, have a flood warning connected to the situation on the Ottawa River.

Quebec's flood map mentions moderate flooding, which means a risk of evacuations and sewer backups, on the Petite Nation River near Ripon and the Coulonge River in Mansfield-et-Pontefract.

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