Alberta makes $175M available for municipalities affected by wildfires
Posted July 4, 2023 2:09 pm.
Last Updated July 4, 2023 3:35 pm.
Alberta municipalities and Métis settlements affected by the devastating wildfires this season can apply for support from the province.
The UCP government has approved a $175 million disaster recovery program to recoup costs related to wildfire response and recovery.
Eligible expenses that may be covered include volunteer firefighter wages, overtime costs for local firefighters and municipal staff, mutual aid costs for reception centre accommodation, food and transportation, and structural protection costs.
Funds in the disaster recovery program would also cover infrastructure damaged during the wildfire response.
The province says it would cover up to 90 per cent of expenses. The remaining 10 per cent would need to be covered by the municipalities or Métis settlements themselves.
Mike Ellis, the minister of public safety and emergency services, made the announcement Tuesday in Drayton County.
“This new funding will be critical in helping these impacted communities get back to where they were before this province-wide disaster,” Ellis said.
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The spring wildfires in Alberta burned nearly 1.5 million hectares of land and forced the evacuation of 38,000 Albertans from their communities.
More than 100 wildfires remain active in the province, with 15 still considered out of control.
The disaster recovery program covers uninsurable losses and damage caused by emergencies and disasters. The province says it is not intended to replace appropriate fire insurance coverage.
The program is not available for homeowners, residential tenants, small business owners, landlords, agricultural operations, condominium associations and not-for-profit organizations. First Nations communities are supported by the federal government through Indigenous Services Canada.
Ellis acknowledged some some Albertans may not have fire insurance because it was refused to them.
“We’re working on that right now. We’re working with Indigenous communities,” said Ellis. “I can tell you that Minister Wilson (Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson) has been talking to chiefs in that area. All I can say is there are ongoing discussions. We’re fully aware what the issue is.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes to try to make sure we help any community. Those conversations are currently ongoing.”
The disaster recovery program has previously been used after the Slave Lake wildfires (2011), the southern Alberta floods (2013), the Wood Buffalo wildfires (2016) and the northern Alberta floods (2020).
With wildfires giving way to flooding in rural parts of the province, Alberta’s deputy premier says the province is in talks with Ottawa on natural disaster prevention.
“Ensuring that we have protective barriers in place – those walls in place – that’s something we have to look at. And with flooding, we’re always trying to figure out how we can protect any community from further flooding.”
