After rising water levels in the area, the bridge leading from Montreal's Ile-Bizard–Sainte-Genevieve to Mercier has been temporarily closed.
The decision was taken by the town's mayor, Stéphane Côté, after engineers ruled that it would be the safest decision for all. With waters rising and no way off the island, the community has been in disaster preparedness mode.
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"We got them sandbags pretty soon, probably two weeks ago, we've got water pumps working on the other side, but with mother nature, it's never sure," said the town's mayor in an interview. "I hope we don't have too much rain in the next few days."
Residents can rest assured that there is no major flooding on the island at the moment. No evacuation measures have been put in place and all homes are currently safe from disaster.
The town's fire department, however, recommends that residents remain on the island. "We're not asking people to leave. If they leave the island, they can't return," revealed Montreal's Fire Department Chief, Martin Guilbault.
The reopening of the bridge currently closed off to vehicle and foot traffic has yet to be determined.
