Lawsuit filed against makers of Montreal-area dike that burst, flooding town | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Lawsuit filed against makers of Montreal-area dike that burst, flooding town

A car sits submerged in floodwater on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 in Ste-Marthe-sur-la-Lac, Que. A city northwest of Montreal has announced that its insurance company is suing the maker of a dike that burst during last year's spring floods, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

MONTREAL - A Montreal-area town says its insurance company is suing the maker of a dike that burst last spring, flooding streets and forcing thousands of residents from their homes.

Officials from Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac said Tuesday legal action has been filed against the firm Gendron Lefebvre, which was responsible for work carried out in 1979.

The dike burst on April 27, 2019, forcing some 6,500 people from their homes without notice.

The flooding affected about 50 streets and caused significant property damage in the community located on the shore of Lake of Two Mountains.

In a statement, the city says court documents allege those responsible for the dike made serious mistakes in its conception and construction, which amounted to a hidden defect.

The lawsuit claims a probe carried out on the dike after the flooding revealed the presence of organic matter that could have led to water infiltration and that could not have been detected by regular inspections prior to the event.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2020.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2020
The Canadian Press

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