'They have abandoned us': Frustrated flood victims still waiting for promised government help
For Joanne Beaulieu, the last 10 weeks have been a nightmare.
“Pure hell. It’s been depressing. We’re angry,” said Beaulieu.
Since historic floods ravaged Sumas Prairie in December, residents like Beaulieu say they have been living in limbo. They say promised help from the province’s financial disaster relief program has not arrived.
“There’s been no government help. No official has been to meet with us. Nobody is explaining what our next steps are,” she said.
“They have abandoned us.”
She says when she asked officials how long she would have to wait for disaster financial assistance, she was told it could be more than a year.
“The delay in payment for helping people rebuild and restore is pathetic,” she said.
Her sentiments are shared by many others on Sumas Prairie, including Jenney Winkelhorst.
“I’m very angry, frustrated, emotional. And the only support we’ve had is through community,” Winkelhorst told CTV News as she stood in her flood-damaged home. She estimates repairs will cost around $150,000.
“We don’t want to just start building and then find out we aren’t going to get any money,” she explained, saying she calls every week to ask about the status of her application.
Residents say because they live on a flood plain, they couldn’t get private insurance. Disaster financial assistance is their only lifeline.
“We applied the day after we left. We are apparently tenth on the list, so I can’t imagine (what it’s like) for people who did not know to apply, who will be waiting for over a year,” she said.
In a statement to CTV News, Emergency Management B.C. says it has no reason to believe it should take a year for property owners to get help through Disaster Financial Assistance.
However, the statement also notes that “due to the extreme nature of this event, we are concerned that Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) claims could take longer to process than in the past as we are hit by a surge of applications.”
A streamlined process and more staffing are being promised.
Emergency Management B.C. also says the average processing time of closed eligible files from initial application through to final payment is taking approximately five weeks.
But the residents CTV News spoke to said they weren’t aware of a single person on Sumas Prairie who had received the funding. CTV News asked Emergency Management how many residents on Sumas had been given money through the program, but did not get a response by deadline.
Residents say the funding delays are another blow in what’s been a traumatizing time in their lives.
Beaulieu runs a farm animal sanctuary and is still struggling with the loss of more than 150 birds as well as 14 cats.
“That’s the part I can’t talk about. I can’t. It’s just too hard and it shouldn’t have happened.” she said as she fought back tears.
Beaulieu says the crisis has pushed her into a tough position. She’s made the difficult decision to sell her farm without doing flood repairs, years before she had any plans of moving.
“We were all forced to make quick decisions, sometimes decisions we didn’t’ want to make,” she said.
“I would be crazy to spend $200,000 that I wouldn’t recoup on the sale value…so now my life is in limbo.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
No, a best-selling American writing duo didn't pen a Galen Weston romance novel
You would be forgiven for thinking Christina Lauren's latest romance novel stars a hunky reimagining of Loblaw chairman Galen G. Weston.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Sunchips, Munchies recalled by Frito Lay Canada for possible salmonella contamination
Frito Lay Canada is recalling two of its most popular snacks due to a possible risk of salmonella contamination.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.