A tornado strikes hard in Aylmer North and the municipality of Pontiac

A tornado fuelled by extreme winds did not spare Aylmer North or the municipality of Pontiac. The gusts hit western Gatineau. About 15 residents had their homes completely demolished in Breckenridge/Luskville. Approximately 100 homes in the area were hit with high winds. Four main roads have been affected: Marquis, Maple, Fortin and Sumac. The emergency services of the municipality of Pontiac were deployed within hours of the natural disaster. Everyone looking for housing should contact the Red Cross at 1-877-362-2433. Psychological support from the Service de santé de l’Outaouais is available by contacting 811.

For residents of Aylmer who were affected by strong winds, the City offered showers at the Paul-Pelletier Aquatic Centre, according to Deschênes Councillor Mike Duggan.         

Natural disaster victims who live in Gatineau can leave their fallen trees and branches along the street. They will be collected shortly by private contractors under contract with the City.

Gatineau’s teams (fire, police, public works) responded to the ecological disaster. The four leaders of the main provincial political parties visited the affected areas over the weekend. The Government of Quebec made a commitment to provide $1 million in assistance to the Red Cross to help the 600 people affected in greater Outaouais. The Red Cross is helping victims of tornadoes.  

There is only one Disaster Services Centre in Gatineau, located at the Centre communautaire Père-Arthur-Guertin, 16 rue Bériault.

Residents who wish to lend a hand to the victims can make donations at the former Sears office located on the ground floor of the Galeries de Hull (320, boul. Saint-Joseph, Hull sector). Only personal hygiene products and non-perishable foodstuffs are accepted. Residents who wish to help disaster victims can make a financial donation to the Red Cross.

Quebecers who were directly affected by the natural disaster and who have questions about their insurance coverage can contact Infoassurance at 1 877-288-4321 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Infoassurance is useful to know the procedure for settling a claim, or the coverage provided in the event of natural disasters.