Northeastern communities are receiving some relief following a few natural disasters during the 2020 spring and summer months.
Flooding and a plow wind caused some damage in northeastern RMs, which led to some applying for the Provincial Disaster Relief Program, so their residents could apply for financial help from the province for items damaged that weren’t covered by insurance.
This includes the RM of Torch River that experienced a plow wind in July tha toppled mature trees in the forested areas of the RM, said Reeve Jerry Kindrat. They have heard of a few residents needing building repairs due to the high winds and, while the program is slow to payout, it is a necessary backup for RMs to take advantage of, he said.
Nathalie Hipkins, administrator for the RM of Nipawin, said they are applying for disaster relief eligibility to make sure it is available to those affected by this year’s spring flooding along the Saskatchewan River near Wapiti Valley Regional Park.
“It's very disheartening for people. You just watch as everything is just gone and there’s nothing you could do about it. I've spoken to the people that work for (disaster relief) and they're very understanding you know when they walk you through the process...It is a stressful time.”
The RM of Moose Range has been having ongoing issues following a flooding event in 2016, said Administrator Beverly Doerksen, so they apply for program eligibility for any residents who need that disaster relief. A lot is happening at the municipal level, she said, and there are public and private properties that are eligible for relief funding this year. For the municipality, three ongoing restoration projects have now totalled close to $1 million worth of repairs and without the program, they would be paying that out of pocket, she said.
For more information, call your local RM office or visit saskatchewan.ca.
