Amidst continued garbage removal efforts at Braeburn Estates in Olds, government issued cheques have begun arriving for tenants more than two months after their applications to Alberta's Disaster Recovery Program were first made on May 31.
“Tenants today started receiving their disaster relief cheques, so they're all excited about that,” said site manager Rebecca Taylor.
Seventeen of the 24 flooded-out residents of Braeburn Estates applied for government financial assistance, which aims to mitigate uninsurable losses for victims of natural disasters and other unforeseeable traumas.
Of the 18 total applicants (17 tenants and one property owner), 11 have been sent an initial payment, said John Muir of Municipal Affairs.
Muir said a total of $26,626 has been allocated to these 11 applicants for their uninsurable damages.
“That figure could increase if additional damage is found, if we get more applicants, or if staff are able to complete evaluations on outstanding files,” said Muir.
Two of the 18 applicants were covered by their insurance, while the remaining four are either missing information, attempting to be connected with, or in the final stages before payment, said Muir.
The Town of Olds is also in the process of making an application to the Disaster Recovery Program.
“We continue to work with them. There's a lot of ongoing work with them. We haven't made any payments yet to the Town of Olds,” said Muir.
“We don't have it actually submitted yet, but we continue to work with them to ensure that they do get reimbursed for their costs.”
He said emergency operation costs are generally applicable under the Disaster Recovery Program.
“It's probably just a matter of doing the paperwork. So it's still ongoing, but we're making really good progress.”
Though RVB Management recently paid for the rental of a dumpster, the site manager is still relying on the volunteer efforts of remaining tenants and the Word of Life Church youth group to assist with cleanup efforts.
Last Friday evening, Taylor said they filled the entire dumpster and a horse trailer with garbage.
“And we still have a few units that still have stuff (garbage) inside.”
“People drive by and say ‘well, it doesn't look that bad.' And we say, ‘Did you actually get out (of their cars) and look in the backyards?'”
“Sometimes it's hard to see.”
Taylor said the situation has come a long way since April's retention pond flood forced more than 70 residents from their homes in the townhouse complex of Braeburn Estates at 5630 53 Avenue.
“It was like never-ending. You just want to run away,” she said.
“We thought many times that we'd just move away with everybody else. You think you can't handle it, but then you just give it another shot and keep going. I don't know how we did it.”
“It (Braeburn Estates) has had a bad name for a long time, and this flood didn't help matters any.”
But Taylor said she has a good relationship with current tenants.
“We've gotten to know everyone, and they've gotten to know us. It's good.”
“We were brought in for a reason, and we've got to stick it out, and try to make Braeburn a better place to live.”
