Quebec City officials said experts will be on this Charlesbourg district site Friday to find out what's causing sinkholes. (CBC/Radio-Canada) Beginning of Story Content
Officials in Quebec City are trying to figure out what has caused dozens of sinkholes to appear in a north-end neighbourhood.
They served evacuation papers on Wednesday to about 15 homes and one business in the city's Charlesbourg district.
Residents look at a sinkhole in the middle of a driveway Thursday. (CBC/Radio-Canada)Almost 40 holes between five and eight metres wide appeared in the last week. The holes were mostly found in a field, but another was in a resident's driveway. One is big enough to fit a car.
"The field is is like, there is nothing, no trees or anything and you see everywhere some holes, some deeper than others, like 30 or 40 holes everywhere on the field. You can see this is not normal. You can see this is a problem on this land," said city spokesperson François Moisan.
As of Thursday afternoon, only half of the approximately 40 affected residents had left their homes.
"The city is very prudent and ask people to leave their house because there is some danger. We don't know what kind of danger, we don't know if it's a real threat to their property but we prefer take no chances and ask them to leave," said Moisan.
A map of the affected area in Quebec City's Charlesbourg neighbourhood. (CBC/Radio-Canada)Moisan said the field where the holes are appearing used to be the site of a sandpit, and he said experts will be on the site Friday to find out what's causing the sinkholes.
Just over a year ago, a family of four died in Saint-Jude, Que. during a massive landslide.
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