Flood relief extended to 13 more communities

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government has expanded flood relief to 13 additional communities as the price tag to repair infrastructure and help property owners pay for damage could reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars, one municipal leader says.

On Monday, the province announced the additional coverage under Manitoba’s flood recovery program, raising the number of eligible communities to 29.

“It’s just taken some time for us to do the technical work,” Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said in an interview. “The spring flood events that we experienced in Manitoba this year are unlike anything we’ve seen and they’re really attributable to what we’re seeing through climate change.”

Naylor said the government introduced the program because people who “never guessed” they’d be hit by flooding are dealing with the aftermath of extreme weather events.

“We want to support folks across the province, regardless of where they live,” she said.

Dauphin, Gilbert Plains and Grandview were among the communities added to the list Monday.

Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak called the news a welcome “layer of assurance.”

“It’s another way that the province has acknowledged that this was a disaster and that some people might need the help.”

He said municipal leaders haven’t been given a cost estimate for the flood response, but considering the extensive damage to roads, bridges, Dauphin’s hospital, homes and businesses in the Parkland region and areas further south, he expects it will be in the “hundreds of millions.”

Other municipalities eligible for the one-time program include the Rural Municipality of Dauphin, the Mossey River Municipality, the RM of Lakeshore, the Municipality of Ste. Rose, Rossburn Municipality, Municipality of Russell-Binscarth, RM of Riding Mountain West, Prairie View Municipality, the Municipality of Boissevain-Morton and the Municipality of Ethelbert.

Naylor, who saw the devastation in Swan River first-hand after the initial flooding in early June, said it was apparent people needed help, and the government’s job was to “find solutions” after heavy rain later in the month.

She said it’s too early to determine a dollar figure associated with the disaster response.

“We will manage this as a province and the important thing is that we’re there when Manitobans need us,” she said.

The government has launched three disaster assistance programs, one for each major flood event, as well as the one-time program to help homeowners and tenants in hard-hit areas who may not have qualified for disaster assistance if flood insurance was available for their property

Jacquie Morran said she’s grateful now that her home of Grandview is covered, but said she and her husband Dean — both aged 65 — were shocked it took so long to be included.

She said the couple, who’ve lived in the area since 1982, were unable to get flood insurance because of their proximity to the Valley River.

“We’ve lost everything,” she said. “We had 15 feet of water in our house.”

Surviving on help from family and community members, she said they are working to save a few of their classic vehicles, including a mint-condition 1966 Mustang 289 and a 1963 Ford Galaxie. They were planning to sell the cars to fund their retirement.

Morran said she hopes either Manitoba Public Insurance or the flood relief program will cover their losses.

“I just want them to use some common sense … and look into what these vehicles are worth,” she said.

Naylor said if the Morrans, or others who were turned down for overland flood insurance, have proof, they’ll be covered under disaster financial assistance.

An estimated 1,000 homes in the Parkland region have sustained flood damage.

Bosiak said he expected the support to come eventually, but acknowledged with a response this big, things take time.

He said the need for assistance under the one-time program is great, as hundreds of people don’t have insurance or are under-insured; some policies exclude events such overland flooding and sewer backups.

“There’s a range of damage and a range of individuals who have been affected,” he said. “It’s basically getting people back to making sure their basic needs are being met.”

Bosiak said the relief will not cover luxury items or premium expenses; replacements will, most likely, not be top-of-the-line.

“This isn’t a lifestyle-funding support,” he said. “It’s life-support.”

Bonnie Halabisky, owner of LB’s General Store in Grandview, home to about 300 people, called the expansion a good thing, “as long as the ones that need help are going to get it.”

The 40-year-resident said her patrons have never been so stressed.

She too was affected by the flood, but was able to deal with it, saying others “lost everything.”

“You have to see it before you can even imagine what it looks like,” she said.

Manitoba 511 still lists numerous closures in the Parkland and Interlake regions as crews try to repair “significant damage” to provincial roads. Residents were reminded to respect the barricades and closures.

» Winnipeg Free Press, with files from The Canadian Press