ST. JEAN SUR RICHELIEU - The major clean-up efforts in the flood-damaged Monteregie region come to a close Saturday as more than 1,000 volunteers worked to remove the sandbags, and pick up tree branches and debris.
Continuing their efforts from last weekend, organizations have come out to lend a hand in nine municipalities ravaged by more than a month of flooding.
The clean-up job has been progressing so well said organizers from SOS Richelieu, they called off the volunteer crew slated to come in and help Sunday.
Some residents in the town of Noyan, however, said the work isn't yet complete.
"They should have had people helping all weekend," said Andre Godin, who was trying to clean up the mess three feet of water left behind in his home. "There's going to be a lot of stuff left out on the street if they don't come by today."
Godin's neighbour Mireille Scotto said she saw the buses with volunteers arrive down the street from her in the morning, but no one had arrived to offer her assistance as of 2:30 p.m.
"We've been stuck since before Easter with this mess, and only now are we really able to make some progress. It's too bad they cancelled them for tomorrow," she said.
The volunteer cleanup is not entirely finished and will continue over the next few days, but with smaller teams of about 50 people, under the supervision of SOS Richelieu and the local municipalities.
Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois showed up Saturday with six volunteers from her party, following Premier Jean Charest's lead from the weekend prior.
MNA Nicole Ménard of the Monteregie's Laporte riding also visited the site Saturday, announcing that she and other National Assembly members had raised $100,000 for the Red Cross, which will be donated to help the flood victims.
The local MP for Huntingdon, Stéphane Billette, called the cleanup a great success, allowing those affected by the floods to smile again as thousands of volunteers lent their support.
Michel Fecteau, president of SOS Richelieu said that now that the first two phases of rehabilitating the region were finished, it was time to enter into the third phase: offering direct aid to those affected.
