Driftpile band still seeking flood help after one year

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Band members here are in a quandary trying to get compensation for flood damage to their homes, one year after a flood forced evacuation of the reserve.

But a provincial government flood relief official claims compensation has been slow because there has been a misunderstanding over the program's eligibility policy.

Driftpile Chief Clifford Freeman said this week the band is still waiting for compensation of $400,000 for damages sustained in the 1988 flood.

Raging rivers caused the evacuation of more than 100 Driftpile band members from their homes on August 4th.

Flooding of low lying areas have become a yearly concern for the band.

The delay in getting compensation to the band for last year's flood is a misunderstanding of policy, claims Ray Langman, executive director for flood disasters with the provincial

government's Public Safety division.

"The band chose to be reimbursed through actual receipts, which takes long to process, than payment on estimate," said Langman.

By using actual receipts, the band must do the repairs, submit the receipts and then have it evaluated to see if it falls into the guidelines of eligibility.

The cost of repairs are for restoring houses to their former condition before the flood. But the government's flood disaster program does not pay for regular wages that fall under the

municipal budget, said Langman.

The band is borrowing funds from other programs to do the actual repairs, but the money has to be replaced when compensation is received, said band councillor Peter Freeman.

"There are 22 houses out of the 140 located on the reserve that are hit by floods yearly," Freeman said.

The residence of Judy and Eugene Chalifoux have been constantly hit by yearly floodings. They feel the repairs made to their three bedroom home are inadequate.

"Last year the flood ripped a hole in the foundation. This was repaired, but we still have water seepage every time it rains," Chalifoux told Windspeaker this week.

He partially blames this on the way the weeping tiles where in places where it was installed, packing was not used.

The Chalifouxs' have seven children and the finished basement serves as bedrooms for some of the children.

The gyp rock that was used in fixing the basement has since been pulled because of rotting due to water seepage, the Chalifouxs' stated.

"We need to use the basement for the children so we have to keep using disinfectant because of the musty smell in the basement. We keep complaining to the band and to Indian

Affairs, but nothing has been done," Chalifoux complained.

Since the beginning of the year, the Chalifouxs' say they have had frequent visits from different inspectors, but nothing has been done yet.

"Because the houses on the reserve belong to the band the flood disaster program deals directly with the band," explained Langman.

"If the home was individually owned, there would be no problem. We would deal directly with the owner," he said.

"Last week, we read that the chief wants to relocate some of the people, but we don't know nothing about it," Mrs. Chalifoux said.

No damage estimates of the most recent flood were available or if a flood prevention program is in the works, which Chief Clifford Freeman believes is needed.