Lead researcher : Eve Pouliot

Co-researchers : Danielle Maltais, Christine Gervais and Kristel Tardif-Grenier

Abstract. In 2017 and again in 2019, the rural municipality of Pontiac and its residents faced severe spring flooding. Our previous work, funded by SSHRC (2021–2023) and carried out in collaboration with two secondary schools in the Outaouais region, indicates that this flooding appears to have had a range of consequences for the physical and mental health of the adolescents exposed to it. These findings converge with the results of other studies conducted in the aftermath of floods, which report that young people affected by such events are at risk of experiencing both physical and mental health problems while also facing difficulties in family and school functioning. In this context, there is clear value in better understanding the psychosocial impacts of flooding — both positive and negative — on the trajectories of adolescents and their parents living in rural settings, while at the same time fostering their sense of agency. This research project therefore aims to document the trajectories of young people and their parents in the aftermath of flooding in a rural setting, using Digital Storytelling. This participatory method, implemented through individual and group interviews, will help participants develop a fuller understanding of what they experienced during the floods by allowing them to examine the turning points that this disaster marked in their lives. The findings and the avenues for action identified through this research will be transferable to other regions and communities frequently exposed to flooding.