Monday 24 June 2013
Alberta flood improvement could take 10 years, says premier
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Alberta
flood improvement could take 10 years, says premier
mass departure orders for most
homes across Calgary have been lift, while Alberta Premier Alison Redford has
warned the provincial concentrated effort effort could take up to 10 years.
"I
undertake you that, on behalf of the government of Alberta, we will do
everything that it takes for people to remake their homes and rebuild their
lives and rebuild their communities," the premier said.
Redford,
who addressed media Monday, said the flood would have a huge effect on the
provincial budget.
The
premier announced that the province had approved a $1-billion preliminary
emergency fund to deal with the funding. Part of that will be for "cash
cards" for residents who have not been able to return home yet. That
funding will start to be handed out in the next week or two, she said.
"We
talk about responding, we talk about reimbursement and we talk about
rebuilding."
Redford
said the province is now in the renewal phase.
She
also stressed that people should be wary of misinformation. “Please go to the
government websites to make sure that the information you have is actually
true," said Redford.
The return home
Evacuation
orders across Calgary continued to lift Monday.
"I
am happy to announce today, right now, that every single family home outside of
the downtown is open for families to return home," said Nenshi.
'We are still in a local state of emergency.'— Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi
Nenshi
said just before noon MT that the Bow and Elbow river levels were at a third of
what they were when they crested.
"It
is still very dangerous out there, we are still in a local state of
emergency," he said.
"You
must stay off the river bank and you must stay off the river pathway, even if
they look safe. We don’t know what has happened in terms of erosion."
As
people return home, Nenshi stressed that residents should visit re-entry
stations in their neighbourhoods.
"Remember
again that electricity and water don’t mix, you have to be incredibly
careful," said Nenshi.
1 of 52 but it's a slow process, he warned.“It’s
not just flipping a switch to turn the power on,” said Nenshi.“So be patient, I
know it’s really tough. I know it’s really, really frustratin.”eer
effortAbt 2,500 people showed up at McMahon Stadium on Monday to
volunteer to help residents settle back into their homes.
Those
people will help knock on the doors of houses that had been evacuated and
provide residents with information on flood recovery and other community
resources.
“This
is Calgary, folks. This is the spirit of this community."
Nenshi
said the city will have more formal volunteering opportunities available soon.
“But,
and I’ll probably get in trouble from the legal department for saying this,
just go help your neighbour,” said Nenshi.
Army presence to decline
“We are
anticipating that we will begin to see a drop down in the number of Canadian
troops that are deployed right now,” said Calgary Southeast MP Jason Kenney.
The
troops that are left will likely be assigned to help out with power and water
problems, as opposed to search and rescue, said the minister.
The
Bank of Montreal issued a statement late Monday morning estimating that the
total losses from the Calgary floods will be in the $3-billion to $5-billion
range.
Kenney
said there is no way to tell just how much damage the flooding has cost at this
point.
Outdoor water restrictions
Tap
water remains safe for consumption, and the outdoor water use ban is still in place,
Bruce Burrell, director of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, said
Monday.
Across the city, people were
starting to assess the damage at their homes and begin the long process of
cleaning up.
People
beginning to re-enter their homes should check for water outside and around the
home. If it looks as if any electrical outlets are underwater, or have been
touched by water, or if there is a smell of gas, people should immediately exit
the building.
If
there is any seepage or sewage, residents should call their insurance company
to discuss how to remove the matter.
Food
that has been spoiled should be thrown out, including food that was touched by
floodwater.
For
those starting to remove water from their homes, Burrell said it is acceptable
to pump floodwater into the streets, as long as it’s not suspected of being
contaminated.
Stories of recovery
Wade
Felesky lives in the Elbow Park neighbourhood in southwest Calgary. Not only
did he have to contend with extensive flooding of his house, he told CBC that
he wielded an axe to chase away some would-be looters in the early hours of
Monday morning.
ALBERTA FLOODSPhoto
map: Where the waters hit
"They
became aggressive and we became more aggressive and they ran away" said
Felesky.
Other
Calgarians praised their fellow citizens for coming to their aid in a time of
need.
James
Maxim, a resident of the Roxboro neighbourhood, said about dozen people, some
of them strangers, helped him take the remaining water out of his basement.
Downtown remains closed
Residents
have been warned there is still a long way to go before the city and its
downtown will be back to normal.
Power was restored in much of downtown Calgary Monday afternoon and transit officials
are hopeful some C-Train service could be restored by Wednesday.
A
section of downtown was reopened to the public west of Second Street S.W. to
the Bow River, as well as north of Riverfront Avenue between Second Street S.W.
and Centre Street.
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