High River criticizes Disaster Recovery Program as 2013 flood claims still unresolved

Nearly three years after the 2013 flood in High River, 219 claims and appeals within the townare still outstanding, and a new reportis calling on the Alberta government to get a move on.

The report released by the Town of High River, titled "Finish the Job Fix the System," urges the province toresolve those claims and fix what it identifies to be systemic failures in Alberta'sdisaster recovery program.

"Each claim affects a family's life. They want tohave it wrapped up," said Jim Ross, chair of theDisaster Recovery Program Advocacy Committee.

"It'sjust time to have this complete and put it to rest."

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"Our attention now has to be focused on speaking to the government about making fundamental changes to the program so that in the future, when Albertans are depending on it, they'll be treated much more fairly, sensitively, and faster," Ross said.

The report suggests thatthe provincial government's announcements in the early days after the floodmisled claimants with promises of how the program wouldhelp them.

"The key point is that the province didn't make it clear exactly what to expect and what not to expect," Ross said.

"It was all a bit too vague. Applicants thought that they were perhaps going to get more than they were realisticallyentitled to, and they were disappointed."

A callfor a case worker approach

Ross said this report is just the latest in a long list of others that have pointed to similar deficiencies.

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"What we need is for our provincial government to take all this good information and integrate it into a rewritten disaster recovery program that will function much more efficiently and sensitively for Albertans that are depending on it," Ross said.

Ross wants to see theprovinceadopt acase worker approach, where a single individual will be responsible for resolving each claim.

"Claimants have had to deal with multiple staff andtell their story over and over again," said Ross.

"It's really added frustration and the amount of time that it's taken to get things wrapped up."

The report calls on the government to resolve all claims by the third anniversary of the flooding, June 20,and to addressall appeals by the end of 2016.

"That should be abundant time to complete that," Ross said.

The 2013 floods have been called the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history, prompting promises from the provincial and federal governments for swift action.