Former residents of a Gatineau, Que., condo building demolished Monday say a government buyout won't go far enough to help them rebuild after their months-long ordeal.

The Chateau Saint-Louis at 1420 rue Saint-Louis flooded in April. On Monday, the damaged 16-unit building came down while some former residents looked on.

"I think this is really sad. It's not a good day," said condo board president Gerry Nault in French.

Back in the summer, the condo voted unanimously to take the Quebec government up on its buyout offer.

That buyout worked out to $1.9 million, or between $115,000 and $140,000 per owner.

Demolition crews tear down a 16-unit condo building at 1420 Rue Saint-Louis in Gatineau, Que. The building was damaged in the 2017 and 2019 floods. (Audrey Roy/Radio-Canada)

Buyout not enough, say owners

That's not enough to rebuild, Nault said. The owners believe they should have gotten about $2.9 million.

Nault said many owners had to find rentals while they awaited the assessment, and some are now facing bankruptcy.

Pierre Desmarais bought a unit for his sister, who has a disability, and his 92-year-old aunt just months before this spring's flood.

"Right now ... getting anything equivalent to that in Gatineau is roughly $270,000. We got roughly half of that," Desmarais said.

Pierre Desmarais, who owned a condo in the 16-unit building in Pointe Gatineau, says watching the demolition was a painful experience. The building was damaged in both the 2017 and 2019 floods. 1:12

'Heartbreaking' for residents

For now, his sister and aunt have moved in with another sister. He said it's been a frustrating experience for everyone.

"We all lost a lot. It's really painful to see that. It was such a nice building and a great place. It's really heartbreaking to see everyone that lost so much here."

Carole Custeau, who inherited a unit in the building in 2013, said she feels some relief that the building has been torn down.

"We didn't want to relive the same nightmare," she said in French.

However, she said her share of the buyout left her about $60,000 short.

Money based on provincial rules, city says

The City of Gatineau said the buyouts are based on rules outlined by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing and the Ministry of Public Safety.

Those rules state owners can receive 100 per cent of the cost of reconstruction to a maximum of $200,000. The maximum increases to $250,000 if they cede their property to the municipality, which is what the owners of the Chateau Saint-Louis did.

Quebec's Ministry of Public Safety was not available for an interview and said it doesn't comment on specific cases due to privacy.

Some former condo owners say they're now considering their legal options.