Heavy snow and ice accumulation from this week's record snowfall has caused at least four significant roof and building collapses across the province since Friday.
In Saint Jérome Saturday night, the roof of a two-story building literally splintered apart at the seems under the weight of snow and ice. The collapse destroyed residential apartments on the top floor and a butcher shop at ground-level. Several tenants had to be relocated by the Red Cross, but no one was hurt.
Earlier the same day, search and rescue specialists from the Montreal Fire Department were dispatched to Trois-Rivieres to help officials there go through debris of a heavily damaged building after its roof collapsed due to snow. There were unconfirmed reports someone may have been trapped inside, but the building was empty.
The Jacques-Côté Arena in Quebec City was also evacuated as a preventative measure on Saturday after pieces fell from one of the building’s beams and "cracking" sounds were heard.
That was less than 24 hours after the roof of a Metro Plus grocery store partially collapsed in the Quebec City suburb of Levis. Two people suffered minor injuries in that incident.