The Manitoba government has told Red River Valley residents that a new program is planned to improve compensation if the Red River Floodway causes extreme flooding.
The floodway, located on the south side of Winnipeg, regulates the flow of water through the city.
During the Red River flood of 1997, damage to farms and other property south of Winnipeg was made worse by restricting flows through the floodway to protect the city.
Total flood damage was pegged at about $500 million for Winnipeg and rural areas. Much of the damage was in rural areas south of the city and residents went to court to press for fair compensation.
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The province’s new compensation plan will be a top-up to the existing Disaster Financial Assistance program, which is cost-shared by the federal and provincial governments.
The province promises that the new program will deliver compensation to flood victims in a timely fashion if extreme flooding occurs north or south of Winnipeg as a result of the how the floodway is operated. Plans exist to widen and deepen the floodway, which should alleviate the risk of future flooding in the valley.
Steve Topping, who directs the water branch of Manitoba’s water stewardship department, said one of the main features of the proposed new program is that compensation would not require damaged property to be replaced or repaired before a claim could be made.
“It ensures replacement value of an object based on proof of loss.”
Topping said compensation could also be claimed if a valley resident lost wages or business income because of flooding related to the floodway’s operation. That would apply to people who couldn’t work or run their businesses because of the flooding.
Added costs to continue working or run a business would also be covered.
Topping said another important feature of the program is that applicants would not have to pay a deductible for claims and there would be no ceiling on how much they could claim.
Bob Stefaniuk, mayor of the Rural Municipality of Ritchot, welcomed the news. Some of the communities worst affected by the 1997 flood are in his RM.
“I’m glad to see they’re taking this initiative and putting it in place.”
Following the 1997 flood, regulations under the Disaster Financial Assistance program had to be amended 35 times to help meet the needs of those affected by flooding, Stefaniuk said, delaying compensation and increasing anxiety.
“Every one of them was an agonizing situation for the people. There were some lawsuits.”
Stefaniuk said one potential downside to the proposed legislation is that it would remove the ability to sue the province for further flood compensation.
“I don’t know if that’s a fair thing or not.”
He said it makes sense, politically and economically, to guard Winnipeg from flooding because of the number of people who live there and the value of their property. However, he noted the tradeoff needs to be fair compensation when the city is protected at the expense of rural areas.
“Don’t get into an argument with the people that were sacrificed to save the city of Winnipeg. Just pay them.”
Governments agreed to spend $130 million after 1997 to further flood proof the valley.
Part of that money was used to raise homes onto earthen pads that would be safe at flood levels beyond those of 1997.
Ring dikes were also built around several communities that were threatened by the flood seven years ago.
