Fort McMurray spending millions on berms, but flood-weary residents want out

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is spending millions on flood mitigation around Fort McMurray's vulnerable Waterways neighbourhoodbut some homeowners say they want to be bought out.

"My position is that they [the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo] should buy out Waterways and end this travesty that's taken place again and again," says Louis Rondeau.

Damage to Rondeau'shome from flooding this monthis estimated at$20,000,but he's hesitant to makerepairs ashe's worried the same thing willhappen again.

The lower townsite, which includes Waterways and Ptarmigan Court, hasseen15 notable floods since 1853. Fourteen of those were related to ice jams, according to the RMWB's website.

After floods in 1997 and 2013, the municipality approvedmillions of dollars for flood mitigation in its2014 budget.

• State of emergency declared in Fort McMurray

"We've been waiting seven years for a berm system," Rondeau said. "While they say this one [flood] is unprecedented, at the same time they can't tell me it's not going to happen again.Obviously, they can't properly protect my home and my family."

The risk of future floodinghas diminished anychance of selling his property and funding part of his retirement, Rondeau said.

Berms will be done in 2021

So far the municipality has spent over $150 million on flood mitigation, representingabout half the cost of the work, said Matthew Hough, RMWB deputy chief administrative officer.

The majority of the mitigation work will be completed in 2021, with the exception of a few finishing touches such aspaths and benches, he said.

The work that has been done seems to have been effective during the most recent flooding, Hough said.

"However, without complete berm protection around the downtown area, the water found its way into areas across the lower townsite."

The municipality is working as quickly as it can,with the goal of completinganother 20 per cent of the projectthis summer, he said.

"The fact that this is a hard time for residents is not lost on us,"Houghsaid.

"I think going forward we'll put all options on the table with regards to future development in these areas as well, but for now the focus is purely on recovery."

• Wood Buffalo council gives residents break on taxes, water bills during flood, pandemic

After the wildfire in 2016, the municipality surveyed Waterways residents to see if they wanted to rebuild in the area, be bought out or do a land swap. The majority of respondents, 68 per cent, said they preferred rebuilding in Waterways.

• Rebuilding Fort McMurray homes on flood plain a 'poor decision,' says hydrologist

Stephen McGrath bought his home in Waterways 10 years ago for $300,000. While his home didn't flood this spring,he'sseeing the impact on his property value.

"After two floods and a fire, pretty much nobody's going to buy anything down here. It's going to be worthless," McGrath said.

His home haslost about $140,000 of itsvalue in property-tax assessments over the last two years, he said.

McGrath has tried to sell his home beforebut people aren't willing to pay enough for it.

"We're screwed," he said.

McGrath said he's angry right nowbut is waiting to see if any changes are coming.

Craig Lichtiand his wife arenewer residents in Waterways, havingbought their home a year-and-a-half ago.

Before buyingthe property, he consulted with the municipality to see what was being done to mitigate flooding.

"We were told that it should never flood again," Lichti said.

His home had minimal damage because before the evacuation, he and his wife stuffed garbage bags down all the vents and taped them off and moved valuables from the floor. For example, they hoisted the oven onto the kitchen table.

Lichti is now replacing the damaged insulation under his home, cleaning his property and trying to find a way to replace the footings that were knocked aside during the flood.

While he loves living in Waterways, he wouldconsider a buy-out fromthe municipality if he could geta fair price, he said.

For now, he's thinking he may raise up his trailer a few extra feet just in case there's another flood.

"I really, really hope they follow through all the way with what they say they're going to do," he said.