Exshaw flood victim appalled by Calgary home buyouts

Some Albertans hit hard by last year's flood say the province's multimillion-dollar flood buyouts in Calgary are appalling.

Earlier this week, CBC News revealed the Alberta government spent $33 million to buy out 11 homeowners on just two streets in southwest Calgary.

• Flood buyouts for 11 Calgary homes cost province $33M, documents show
• Hundreds of Albertans appealing disaster recovery payout

Jennifer Smith says its unfair that some people got millions in compensation while her request for less than $100,000 to fix her flood-damaged house in Exshaw was rejected.

Three quarters of the homes in the hamlet 90 kilometres west of Calgary were damaged in the flood.

"It's appalling. I don't understand why the government couldn't have paid out people on the lower end of the income scale first. And all the wealthy could have waited, she said.

I'm hurt.I'm angry.I don't want to take away from anyone else's story but I'm extremely angry that the province can't step in and help us in Exshaw."

Smith said she had to take out a new mortgage to rebuild her house after the province denied her claim.

ATB stepped up to the plate and I have an incredible mortgage broker who went to bat for usand got us some extra money.

Overall the government paid $84 million to buy out the owners of flood-damaged homes across the province, with 39 per cent of the money spent on 16 properties in Calgary.

Josephine Dick, flood recovery co-ordinator for the Municipal District of Bighorn, said its hard to watch as some families get help while others still struggle.

"I think people have lost hope and think people feel like the province hasn't treated them fairly, she said.