‘I can’t keep losing everything’: Pierrefonds residents demand flooding solution

For Melissa St. Germain, flooding is not an isolated disaster but a recurring part of life on Fleming Street. She has lived in her home, which she later bought from her parents, since the 1970s and has witnessed the property flood nearly a dozen times over the past few decades.

"It's my son's 18th birthday. We have plans tonight, but we're probably going to cancel if we're expecting the weather we're supposed to," St. Germain said. "I have to stay home and protect my house – I have to protect everything. It's not right."

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It’s my son’s 18th birthday. We have plans tonight, but we’re probably going to cancel if we’re expecting the weather we’re supposed to. I have to stay home and protect my house –I have to protect everything. It’s not right.

Miruna Mazilu, a few houses down, has joined a team of neighbors who have become unofficial investigators, documenting the persistent flooding. Mazilu believes city documents and engineering reports clearly indicate a long-standing problem. A temporary pump sits outside her home, intended to prevent flooding, but residents say it's often not installed or monitored correctly by the city, leading to frustration.

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We had a few times where it wasn’t installed properly, or it was not monitored by the city properly, which was very frustrating, to have the pump in front of you and get flooded.

Some residents have resorted to installing their own sump pumps, generators, and other costly upgrades to protect their homes, as they cannot rely on the city's pump. Many have joined a proposed class-action lawsuit, seeking immediate answers while legal proceedings unfold.

"You call the city and say, 'Can you please have someone bring a pump,' and either the response is, 'You're not a priority,' 'I don't have that as an order,' or, now that there is a class action lawsuit, 'Too bad for you, I'm not getting involved,'" said Galia Desautels. The borough declined an on-camera interview, citing the ongoing litigation. However, a spokesperson stated that crews would reconnect the temporary pump ahead of forecasted rainfall. Despite these assurances, residents are weary of temporary fixes after decades of repeated flooding.

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You call the city and say, ‘Can you please have someone bring a pump,’ and either the response is, ‘You’re not a priority,’ ‘I don’t have that as an order,’ or, now that there is a class action lawsuit, ‘Too bad for you, I’m not getting involved.’

"We need a permanent solution, we can't beg every time rain is expected for you to put a pump on the street. That's not a solution, that's a band-aid," said St. Germain. "I can't keep losing everything. I just can't."

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We need a permanent solution, we can’t beg every time rain is expected for you to put a pump on the street. That’s not a solution, that’s a band-aid. I can’t keep losing everything. I just can’t.