Province announces $1 billion for flood ravaged areas

    The provincial government is responding to flooding throughout Southern Alberta. Now that the waters have begun to recede, Albertans are looking ahead to how to rebuild.
    On Monday, June 24, the provincial government announced $1 billion for emergency recovery and reconstruction.
    “Our focus is currently shifting from response to recovery. The high water levels have now moved  though the communities in Alberta and it’s time to gauge the impact of the flooding damage, with a view to get Albertans back in their homes as quickly as we can,” said Dave Galea, a senior official with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).
    The $1 billion emergency recovery and reconstruction funding has been allocated from Alberta’s Contingency Fund to provide immediate support to Alberta families and communities. The emergency funding will provide direct funding support for residents who have been evacuated (eligibility to be determined), support for relief centres, including food, clothes and supplies, and resources to start rebuilding bridges, waterways, and other critical infrastructure.
    Albertans who are displaced will receive a pre-loaded debit card. Those who qualify will receive $1,250 per adult and $500 per child.
    “Without question, we believe there will be a disaster recovery program as a result of the flooding in Southern Alberta. The process will be communities will make claims on behalf of all their citizens,” said Galea.
    As of Monday, June 24, Drumheller remained in a state of emergency, though an evacuation order for low-lying areas was rescinded at 5 p.m. Other parts of Alberta, including Lethbridge, the County of Lethbridge, Red Deer, Cypress County, and Crowsnest Pass lifted their states of emergency by Monday.
    Water levels are expected to remain high throughout the week and Albertans are being asked to be cautious.
    “Water levels, although they are receding, are going to remain high for a number of days while the water clears the system. We encourage Albertans to be safe, stay away from river banks, and stay back from danger,” said Galea.

Volunteers show true Drumheller spirit during flood

    In adversity, often the true spirit of a person or entire community is revealed.
    Residents showed the indomitable spirit and fellowship of Drumheller during the recent flood crisis.
    “We heard of and witnessed so many different ways volunteers pitched in. It certainly demonstrates the best any community has to offer,” said Councillor Jay Garbutt. “I think we’re all overwhelmed with just  how phenomenally people stepped up.”
    As early as Friday, residents were asking where they could help. It wasn’t until Saturday morning when the call for volunteers was made, but it didn’t take long for residents to show up and help.
    When sandbags needed to be filled, volunteers poured into the IGA parking lot to help. So many showed up, they often ran out of bags or sand.
    “It needs to get done. Everybody chipping in makes for a better Drumheller,” said volunteer Keith Hudson.
    Even Drumheller’s summer residents chipped in.
    “I saw what was going on in Calgary and, because I’ve never seen flooding at home in Ontario, I thought it would be a good chance to help out and get involved in the community. We were sent home from work, so I thought I should put it to good use” said Shawna Butts, a summer employee with the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
    The Town set up a volunteer coordination centre in Greentree Mall, where volunteers continually stopped by to offer their aid.
     “We would get calls about where volunteers were needed, so we could refer to our list. We had 20 volunteers go out to East Coulee and help sandbag. We had another 15 go to Midland to assist there. The support has been amazing. We’ve really come together as a community,” said Cathy Smoliak, who was helping to coordinate volunteers.
    Other residents helped out in other ways. Businesses donated food and items to the evacuation centre and residents opened their homes to give those who were evacuated a place to stay.
    Fire Departments, RCMP members, and others from outside the community came to Drumheller’s aid.
    “The people manning the barricades overnight were a lot of volunteer firefighters from outside our community. They were all phenomenal. It’s impossible to overstate how much everyone contributed from inside and outside the community. The Hutterite community was again a group that could be counted on when the chips were down and they expected nothing in return,” said Garbutt. “We’re incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by people who are there for you when things are bad.”

Dozens of volunteers showed up to fill sandbags at the IGA parking lot on Saturday, June 22. So many came out that there were a few shortages of bags and sand. The community came together during the crisis and volunteers filled sandbags, manned barricades, and helped shield homes from the flood.    mailphoto by Michael James