Flood victims demand better protection

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This article was published 02/10/2009 (6072 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ANGRY St. Clements residents hit by last spring’s flood stormed the legislature Thursday to complain they’re being ignored by governments as they try to rebuild their lives.

They said the rural municipality and the provincial government have passed the buck after promising to build new dikes to protect homes from future flooding.

"It’s gotten to the point where many of us don’t have a place to stay," said Joseph Smolinski, chairman of the Coalition of the North Red River Flood Protection Group. "How can we in fact deal with the situation when this is like a bait-and-switch? They’re doing it to all of us."

The dozen residents came to the legislature at the invitation of Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard, who raised their concerns during question period.

"They’re totally in limbo," Gerrard said outside the house. "The vacillation and indecision on behalf of the province has got them in a very sad and unfortunate position."

Residents Gail and Lyle Bryant have only recently moved back into their Peltz Drive home east of the Red River after spending the summer living in a camper trailer outside their flood-damaged house. It was overtaken by ice floes from the river Easter Sunday. The Bryants said even though they had almost 30 centimetres of water inside their home, they did not qualify to be bought out by the province.

They said municipal officials told them a dike would be built to protect their house and others, but plans to build that dike fell through in July. Theirs was one of two houses that flooded in the 15-home subdivision.

"We were told the cost of the berm was too expensive," Lyle Bryant said.

"People are stunned by our situation," Gail added. "Nobody else to our knowledge has had to live in a camper for the past five months."

The Bryants, who have moved into the top floor of their home as the main floor is rebuilt, want the municipality and province to make a decision soon about building a berm. That would allow work to begin before winter so they’re protected next spring.

"At the very least, a berm around our house so we’re not ruined," Lyle said.

The couple said they’ll spend more than $150,000 rebuilding the interior of their house. The province has offered $30,000 to help. A berm around the house would cost about $45,000 and a berm around the entire community would be about $750,000.

Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick, who also met with the Bryants, said she sympathized with the couple. Melnick said funding for a new dike and other protection measures is tied up in negotiations with Ottawa.

"It can take a while and I’m very much hoping it won’t take years," Melnick said. "This is not a negotiate-over-lunch type of agreement."

Melnick added the same process was followed after the 1997 flood to secure federal money for flood-proofing efforts south of Winnipeg.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

 

Homes bought out

THE provincial government is buying out 42 Breezy Point homes on Crown land and 17 flood-damaged homes in St. Clements.

At least two homes in St. Andrews will also be removed.

The combined assessed value for the affected properties is more than $2 million.

The value of buyouts for St. Clements homeowners is based on the pre-flood assessed value for both house and land.

Buyouts were ordered in St. Clements because council is worried about the safety of both homeowners and emergency personnel in the flood-prone area, as well as the ongoing cost to taxpayers.

Total flood claims under the Disaster Financial Assistance program are expected to be in the $40-million range. This includes provincial government costs of $16.2 million and First Nations costs of $4 million.