Montreal brings in sandbags, pumps as several provinces on flood alert

MONTREAL — Communities in three provinces were bringing in pumps and laying sandbags on Friday, as river levels continued to rise and forecasts called for more rain in some already waterlogged areas.

In Montreal, officials said that water levels on the Outaouais and des Prairies rivers were rising and may spill their banks in the coming days. The city said teams had brought in flood protection infrastructure such as pumps, dikes and inflatable barriers in parts of the West Island and the city’s north end.

Parts of the city experienced major flooding 2017 and 2019, and Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said officials are preparing in case water levels reach similar heights.

“We’re here to say we’re ready if ever it happens,” she told reporters.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Sunday, warning that 15 to 25 millimetres of rain could fall at a time when water levels are high and the ground is saturated.

Quebec’s flood monitoring website said that as of 1 p.m. ET there was one medium flood, at the Ouareau river north of Montreal, as well as 20 minor floods and 20 spots under surveillance.

Laval, north of Montreal, indicated that minor flooding had started, while Gatineau estimated that 33 roads and 119 buildings were at risk of flooding from the rising Outaouais and Gatineau rivers.

In Ontario, flood warnings remained in effect from Sault Ste. Marie to Peterborough, impacting a large share of the province’s population. Environment Canada also has rainfall and special weather alerts in place across a similar swath of the province as the weather agency forecasts more rain to come.

In Minden Hills, a town in Ontario’s cottage country located on the banks of the Gull River, residents have been under a state of emergency for four days. In an update Friday, the town’s mayor said the disaster has brought out the best in the community as volunteers have helped with sandbagging efforts and donated water and equipment to the flood response.

Bridges will be closing in downtown Minden Friday evening after a review of water levels was conducted, the township said, and crews are working on an emergency repair of the washed-out Bobcaygeon Road to ensure emergency vehicles can access the town, according to Mayor Bob Carter.

In Manitoba, Premier Wab Kinew said about a quarter of the homes at risk of flooding at Peguis First Nation had been protected, a day after he and hundreds of volunteers helped with sandbagging. The First Nation north of Winnipeg, in the Interlake region, has estimated that about 225 homes are in danger.

The province says run-off is expected to begin next week across much of central Manitoba. The latest flood bulletin says a partial snowmelt is underway across the central and southern regions, resulting in rising water levels and increased ice movement on rivers and creeks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2026.

— By Morgan Lowrie in Montreal with files from Kathryn Mannie in Toronto and Frédéric Lacroix-Couture in Montreal, and Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press