St. Anne de Sabrevois - Not all homes near the Richelieu River have aquariums but in recent days many of them have suddenly have aquatic life.
Many families have seen their homes become part of the nearby river, devastated by water infiltration sometimes several inches deep.
Some such as Teresa Gagnon have suffered damage that will not be covered by insurance, as companies refuse to insure homes so close to the river.
So what she lost in the flood will be hers to replace.
"I can't leave my home and I can't leave my dog. I'm hoping this stops and it will go away. I want the water to recede," the resident of St. Anne de Sabrevois tells CTV Montreal.
She will only know the full-extent of the damage once the water has been drained out.
"As soon as it stabilizes and recedes, I'll take out the pump and I'll start pumping it out, two, three or five hours a day," she says.
Countless others have attempted, often in vain, to protect their digs with a wall of sandbags.
The flood is a result not just of late-spring melt-offs, but also of heavy winds blowing water from Lake Champlain into the Richelieu.
Thus far 38 municipalities have filed to the province for financial aid.
Officials from the Ministry of Public Security expect the waters to continue rising until Sunday.
