Mayor says Mattawa will be 'safe in the long run,' after rising flood waters prompt evacuations

Mattawa Mayor Dean Backer remains hopeful histown will be made safe soon as crews worked to shore up downtown streets exposed to the swollen Mattawa River.

Dozens of residents and businesses in the town have already been evacuated in the community east of North Bay.

"I'm confident that with the reinforcement work that's coming and the people that are coming, it will make us safe in the long run," Backer told CBC News on Saturday.

"I just want to tell people, stay out of the way, there's people working on our behalf. If you can, stay indoors."

Nadine Blanger was among residents who volunteered packing sandbags on Saturday.

"People are scared but people are also feeling blessed because we have a little community that sticks together in good times and bad times,"Blanger told CBC News.

"We have people from all around coming to help us ...with absolutely no relations in our town, and they're just coming to help out because we're in need, so it's touching."

Town officials say the municipal offices were also evacuated Saturday as a precaution due to flooding from the Mattawa River, which connects to the Ottawa River.

The Ottawa River Regulating Committee says river levels are expected to peak on Sunday.

An emergency shelter has beenopened at the Mattawa Arena.

"It's absolutely terrifying knowingpeople are losing their houses, it's costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's so scary and it's so sad," said another residentJessie Fawcett.

Significant rainfall upstream in the Abitibi-Tmiscamingue region, combined with excess runoff, resulted in the rising water levels.

Municipal officialssay sandbags are still available at the Mattawa Municipal Garage.

Backer declared a state of emergency on Monday night due to extra water coming from a dam, just north of the community.

The municipality ordered the emergency declarationafter it was notified by the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board that the OttoHolden Dam had to release water due to capacity.