Duty Calls
Operation LENTUS continues in Quebec and Ontario as record-breaking heights are expected over the weekend
Operation LENTUS is still active in Ontario and Quebec as waters are expected to rise to record-breaking heights over the weekend.
Although New Brunswick ended their request for assistance on May 3, Canadian Armed Forces personnel have been working to complete all tasks identified by provincial Public Safety departments in Ontario and Quebec.
“I can confirm that there are currently 455 members deployed in Ontario and 118 in Quebec,” says Lt. Jeff Lura, Public Affairs Officer, Continental Ops, Canadian Joint Operations Command.
Operation LENTUS follows an established plan of action to support communities in crisis. This plan can be adapted to multiple situations. These might take the form of forest fires, floods, ice storms, or hurricanes.
Warrant Officer Tremblay provided an update on the Operation on Wednesday in Quyon, in the Pontiac region of Quebec.
“Well, my platoon and I have done a lot of tasks so far, so it’s going quite well,” said WO Tremblay in the video. “Morale is very good. We’re feeling very hot because we’re working very hard.”
The roles and responsibilities tasked to CAF personnel deployed on Op LENTUS include: filling, distributing, and placing sandbags, mopping up fires, evacuating residents, transporting residents, providing wellness checks to residents in flooded areas, and aiding in releasing information to the public.
Most recently, Pembroke, Ontario, declared a state of emergency as the Ottawa River water levels are rapidly rising with forecasts of significant rain, creating levels that will exceed the City’s resources.
There are no new updates at this time.