Residents feel helpless as their cottages on Ile Sainte-Therese are set to be demolished

Just off the tip of the Island of Montreal, many families have had chalets on Île Sainte-Thérèse for more than five decades, but they've now been told they need to leave and the properties will be demolished.

Natasha Rousseau first came to the island 50 years ago, just months after she was born. Looking at a scrapbook filled with photos of her family on the island spanning four generations, she was worried those memories are all she will have.

"Île Sainte-Thérèse, it's not just land and cottages — it's people, too," Rousseau said.

It's a community that is close-knit during the summer months. They spend their days fishing, gardening, and being with one another.

Rousseau's cottage sits beside a tree her grandfather planted in the 1940s. In four years, the home will be demolished.

The city of Varennes is turning the island into a public park. It refused a request for an interview on Wednesday.

"Nobody here is against this project, OK? Nobody. The only thing that is sad is that we are not included in this park," she said.

Many residents tried to buy their property but their offer was refused.

Quebec bought the island from a religious congregation in 1975. Chalets built before that date will be demolished in 2028 and its owners will receive $8,000.

Meanwhile, chalets built after that date will be demolished this year with no financial compensation.

Resident Jean-Claude Simard says his family heirloom will be gone in 60 days.

"It's in the family, it's my brother-in-law, my father-in-law, who built the chalet," he said.

But over the past 32 years, Simard has laid his own roots. He recently planted a tree to celebrate his grandson William's birth.

Simard thought it would grow here forever. Now, he says will be taking the tree with him when his family leaves the island behind.