'It was like Niagara Falls': Montreal condo residents sue city after building floods several times

A group of condo residents in Montreal's Ville-Marie borough is suing the city after their building flooded several times. They say experts have proven the building is up to code—the problem is on the outside.

"It's constant stress, constant stress," says Juan Munizaga, who has lived in Square Cartier since 2011.

The building on the corner of Parthenais Street and De Maisonneuve Boulevard has flooded ten times in the last 14 years.

Twenty-four of the 26 units below street level were inundated with water over a year ago.

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The damage was so bad that work to repair the apartments, including Munizaga's unit, is still ongoing.

"It was like Niagara Falls. Water coming out. Even if you want to block it, there was nothing to do," said Munizaga.

The building is no longer insurable. Co-owners have already paid $750K for the repairs and invested in flood equipment.

Square Cartier was built in 2007. It's a project by Montreal's public housing agency.

"We've recently learnt that the building was built on an old river that had been dried out in 1890-something, and then when the building was built, the city gave the permits without giving any indication that there could be a potential problem here," said Daniel Vaudrin, a board member of Syndicat des co-proprietaires du Square Cartier.

Residents say another problem is the sewer system, which is over 100 years old. City trucks suctioned water from the sewer all day, but building owners say elected officials must take the problem seriously.

"The only solution is for the city to act. It's for the city to change the configuration of the sewage system in this area," said Daniel Vaudrin.

In a statement to CTV News, the city says the Square Cartier project was approved by a stormwater expert who said it would have no significant impact on the sewer system, but the area is still vulnerable to rainfall.