Receding floodwaters in Sherbrooke give hope to residents

Spiro Trent kayaked around his block in Lennoxville,Que., yesterday after flooding from the St-FranoisRiver inundated streets and fields.

The third-year student at Bishop's University was lucky his home was the only one not evacuated in his neighbourhood. And there's even more good news: the floodwaters have been receding all day, meaning his neighbours may return soon.

Officials in neighbouringSherbrookesaid they hope to start returning people to their homes as early as this evening, and that most people should be back home by the weekend.

But for now, Trent's block is a bit of a ghost town.

While out kayaking yesterday, looking for signs of life, he spotted other people enjoying the warm temperatures, if not the flooding: people water-skiing, others floating by in inflatable chairs.

"It was a very cool opportunity to see the town from a different aspect," Trent told Radio Noon on Wednesday.

Today, however, was another story. Colder temperatures resulted in surface ice, and most peoplewisely stayed indoors.

600 people forced from homes

More than 600 people were forced from their homes inSherbrooke, Que., earlier this week, with a Red Cross reception centre taking in residents displaced by the flooding. Around 115 people were placed in a hotel outside the city's downtown core.

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Late Tuesday night, the city announced 24 streets were closed because of flooding.

"It was a rough night. It's been hard on everybody," said Yves Vermette, director general of the City of Sherbrooke.

City officials saidevacuation efforts were hampered overnight by freezing temperatures and icy roads.Floodwaterscomplicated access to municipal stocks of road salt.

The river's water level was at about7.5 metres Wednesday morning, more than four times its normal level.

The early-morning levels in the St-Franois River werethe highestsince 1982, when water levels reached 7.9 metres, making this week's levelsthe highestever recorded.

In 2010, a water level of 7.3 metres resulted in the evacuation of 900 residents from their homes.

Bishop's University in nearbyLennoxvillecancelled exams Wednesday for a second day in a rowand closed its campusto non-residents.

Champlain College was also closed on Wednesday.

Hope for going home

SherbrookeFire ChiefGatanDrouinexpressed cautious optimism at a news conference late Wednesday morning that water levels could be down to around six metres by Thursday or Friday.

Drouincautioned, however,that the decision to let people return to their homes will ultimately depend on public safety considerations including inspections of buildings affected by the floods and the safety of electricityand gas lines.

"We're hoping people can return as soon as it's safe," Drouin said.

Heavy rains that sparked the floodinghave now ended and unseasonably cold temperatures are helping slow the thaw of whatever ice and snow remainon the ground in the region, which should help the situation stabilize, he said.

State of emergencyin Lac Beauport

Officials in Lac Beauport, east of Quebec City, declared a state of emergency Wednesday as the water level in the Jaune River reached critical levels.

More than 100 homes were evacuated and two of the town's three bridges were closed.

Search and rescue teams had to resort to canoes to help 30 residents to safety.

KarineDelarosbil, a spokeswoman for the municipality of Lac Beauport, said the flooding is the worst in recent memory.

"We've never seen the JauneRiver flood like this in this area," she said.

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Other Quebec cities underwater

In St-Raymond-de-Portneuf, northwest of Quebec City, a swollenSte-Anne River spilled over its banks and forced the evacuation of four seniors' residences and 50 homes. About300 people in total were removed from their homes.

Mayor Daniel Dion said the evacuation order would be enforced for a second night while local authorities monitor the river's water levels.

Dion said it was the worst flood he'd ever seen.

Quebec City activated its municipal civil security plan as rivers around the provincial capital rose to alarming levels.

In the Beauce region south of Quebec City, some250 people in the towns of Saint-Marie, Vallee-Jonction and St-Josephwereforced from their homes.

Recent heavy rains across southern Quebec have been a key factor in the flooding, as is the thawing of theheavy coating of ice and snow leftover from a especially cold winter.