Water drops, bills mount

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The Lillooet River's waters have receded, but Mount Currie Indian Band located north of Pemberton has been left struggling to cope after a week-long flood destroyed land, livestock and many homes on the reserve.

Now, more than 300 evacuated residents of the First Nation urgently need repairs to their homes before winter sets in.

In addition, band members lost the hay they need to feed livestock over the winter: 303 round bales and 3,822 square bales. Replacing it will cost $25,000, but that cost is not covered by the Provincial Emergency Program.

Major storm systems meeting up over the Coast Mountains resulted in record heavy rains and fast-rising rivers throughout the valley. Widespread flooding resulted along the Sea to Sky highway in Pemberton, Squamish and Mount Currie from Oct. 17 to 24.

Fortunately, all band members are accounted for, but locally two people died and two people are missing and presumed drowned as a result of highway and rail bridge collapses over Rutherford Creek on the Whistler-Pemberton highway. It was almost a week before Ministry of Transportation officials put in a temporary bridge to Pemberton.

Early damage estimates were in the range of $20 to $30 million. Although Defence Minister John McCallum and Premier Gordon Campbell toured the flood-ravaged region by helicopter Oct. 25 to assess the situation, it is not known how much money to aid recovery will be coming, or how soon.

"Many people will receive compensation from the provincial Disaster Financial Assistance program," said Chief Leonard Andrew, "but the program only funds partial amounts of the total loss value, and there is real concern that many of our people's needs will fall through the cracks."

The scope of the destruction on this prime agricultural land is huge. Losses include livestock, family pets, vegetable crops, frozen fish and other meats, and the entire smoked and canned winter food stockpile of many residents.

Sheldon Tetreault, senior administrator for the band, said that 30 to 40 homes received the most serious damage. Most people are back at home ripping out insulation and drywall, tearing up flooring and disinfecting the premises, but some homes are beyond repair.

"Animal waste and chemical waste are a worry," he said.

Sewage contamination from septic tanks that rose when the water did, and swamped septic fields, mean little or nothing is salvageable in some places.

Water damage has rendered many houses and out-buildings, as well as vehicles, a total write-off. Electrical equipment, appliances, furniture, clothing and other household goods are gone.

Tetreault said the provincial emergency relief process takes two to six weeks, but the province, INAC and private insurers will all be involved, so it could be a long wait for compensation to reach victims.

One catch to receiving compensation, said Sheldon Tetreault, is that their cows, horses and gardens are only covered by insurance if the primary income is from farming. "One family lost 33 of 35 cattle," he said, but won't be compensated. Many people are in a similar position; they had made a substantial investment in farming or gardening, but worked at something outside of agriculture as their principle occupation.

A bank account has been established at Scotiabank to receive donations for this hard-hit community. The account name is 2003 Mount Currie Flood Relief and the account number is 90670-002-021-4329.

Search, Rescue and Emergency Response units from Pemberton, Squamish, Lions Bay and Whistler, along with the Mennonite Disaster Service, Canadian Red Cross Salvation Army and the Provincial Emergency Program responded to the immediate needs of 800 evacuees during the flood.