The residents of an apartment building in the Center-Sud district are fed up with being flooded again and again. When Thursday’s torrential rain caused backflow and infiltration into the building’s dwellings, it was the fourth such disaster in a year and the ninth in 14 years.
Posted at 5:33pm.
“It was the aqua park in the parking lot, there were geysers everywhere, and there was a lake in the yard. »
Frédéric Rosin, board member of Square Cartier’s condominium syndicate, drew features. Before Thursday’s episode, there had also been flooding during the night from Sunday to Monday.
Five basement units were flooded earlier this week, with ten on Thursday.
It’s unbelievable stress, it’s unbearable. Stormy episodes are still announced for the next two weeks, so we are always worried.
Frédéric Rosin, Member of the Board of Directors of the Square Cartier condominium syndicate
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Frédéric Rosin, board member of the Square Cartier condominium community (right) in the home of one of the residents, Melisa Salija (left).
Since the construction of 160 apartments on five floors has not been insured since 2021 due to too many claims, the costs for repairs after each flood have to be pulled out of the pockets of all co-owners.
lawsuits against the city
The co-ownership syndicate claims that the backflow problems in the building are due to the dilapidated state of the city’s sewage system on the De Maisonneuve Boulevard and Parthenais Street section, which is unable to handle all of the rainwater during heavy rainfall.
He also filed a lawsuit against the city of Montreal related to the September 13, 2022 flood that submerged several homes and the garden-level corridor by a foot. A class action lawsuit was also filed.
The bill for the work was $800,000 and was funded by an extraordinary donation of between $3,000 and $8,000 per co-owner.
Still under construction
To make matters worse, the floor of recently renovated apartments was again covered with water after the damage last September.
This is the case with Melisa Salija’s apartment: on the ground floor, where there is a bathroom and a bedroom, the water backed up through the shower drain and flooded part of the floor where the paneling was not yet put back. The same scenario repeated itself in the night from Sunday to Thursday. And before that, on June 16, there had been another flood.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Damage in Melisa Salija’s basement
“I am very scared of the storms that are expected this weekend,” says the young woman, who says she is exhausted by these repeated disasters.
David Cardon and Matthew Henning’s home was under construction when flooding hit Thursday. Her home experienced a backflow through the kitchen sink, damaging brand new cabinet doors.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
David Cardon and Matthew Jenning
“Luckily we decided to install a ceramic floor with a membrane underneath instead of hardwood. Because we waterproofed everything on the ground floor, the damage is much less this time,” says David.
contingency plan
Square Cartier’s co-owners are so used to flooding that they now have a contingency plan in place to trigger whenever heavy rains hit.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FREDERIC ROSIN
Water is building up in the parking lot of the building
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FREDERIC ROSIN
A municipal truck pumps water not far from the building
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FREDERIC ROSIN
Sandbags are placed at the base of the doors
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As soon as backflows are reported in the showers or toilets, the pipes under the ground floor apartments that lead to the underground car park are opened by placing large containers to collect the water, explains Frédéric Rosin, member of the board of the co-ownership syndicate.
We also bought sandbags to place at the base of the doors to the yard to keep the water out. Garage doors remain closed.
Then the city is called.
On Thursday, a municipal truck pumped the water that could not flow into the pipes on Boulevard De Maisonneuve and in the courtyard of the condominium building.
“As soon as they started pumping, the water level went down,” says Rosin. Luckily they came. However, as long as there is too much pressure in the Maisonneuve sewage pipe, it will back up. »