The government wants to help companies hard-hit by the fires that have destroyed millions of hectares of forest in northern Quebec, the prime minister confirmed during a visit to Abitibi to see the damage.

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The Prime Minister donned his civilian safety jacket in Abitibi on Monday morning to meet with firefighters from the Société de Protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU), who have been battling devastating wildfires for weeks.

He must take stock of the town halls of Normétal, La Sarre and Lebel-sur-Quévillon, where he will meet the managers of the Nordic Kraft factory who, thanks to the efforts of the firefighters, have prevented the worst.

“Days of work to irrigate the plant saved the plant,” he said, stressing that he was very concerned about the Lebel-sur-Quévillon plant. “Now we have to go back.”

He has also pledged to help this company and others badly hit by the flames.

“We will help companies. We have also started to give advances to forest companies […]. We’re trying to make sure all companies go through it,” he said.

The Prime Minister commends the programs that were quickly put in place to help those who were evacuated during the wildfires. An amount of US$1,500 was granted per evacuated family.

“For companies, we have a $50 million plan in place,” the prime minister said.

“We cannot rule out, as during the pandemic, that certain loans will be turned into grants to help businesses that really need help once we have an accurate picture of the situation and next steps.”

prevention

The Prime Minister used his visit to Normétal to observe the work of the pioneers protecting the community, where at one point the fire was less than 500m away.

Trenches had to be dug to protect the infrastructure. This fire is currently being contained by the authorities.

“We will have to ask ourselves this question in the coming years at the level of prevention. “It will be necessary to dig ditches around the villages, almost everywhere, to prevent trees that bring the fire into the houses,” he explained.

There are still 23 fires in intensive care zones in Quebec, including 11 that are spiraling out of control.

These severe fires are mainly occurring in the Baie James sector, where nearly 1,600 people are still being evacuated.

“We’re trying to protect the streets to make sure we can eventually get people back to their homes,” the premier said, adding that there are also concerns about Hydro-Quebec’s infrastructure.

François Legault wanted to remind that these fires did not cause any injuries or fatalities. “I want to thank everyone for the work they’ve done.”

smog back

These fires are in addition to those in the rest of Canada. Air quality warnings are back too.

• Also read: Poor air quality: Smog may return to Montreal by Wednesday

Several American cities, notably New York, are once again hit by thick smog due to the blazes ravaging Canadian forests.