Brighton flood victims receive compensation after months-long wait

A couple in Brighton, Ont., say they spent all summer waiting for compensation after rising waters on Lake Ontario damaged their home.

Barb and David Stafford’s house sits on Presqu’ile Bay which suffered extensive damage from the water levels. At its peak, the lake was 70 centimetres higher than normal.

“It began at the end of April, early May and by June it was very bad,” said Barb. “July, August, way into August we were still badly flooded.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It began at the end of April, early May and by June it was very bad," said Barb. "July, August, way into August we were still badly flooded."

Stafford says four pumps burned out running all summer trying to drain the water which damaged the basement of the lakeside home.

She says repeated requests for financial compensation failed – including from the province, Red Cross and her insurance company. On Friday CHEX News contacted her insurance company and on Saturday an agent visited, informing Stafford she would receive a cheque for $15,000 to start her claim.

In a statement from Intact insurance, the company said contractors weren’t able to assess the extent of damage until the water had fully receded which wasn’t until early August.

“Given the extent of the flooding, the height of the sandbag wall that was erected by the fire department and the challenges with access to the lower level of the home, there were significant challenges encountered in order to complete the necessary emergency work,” the company stated.

The company says in the interim it took measures to help the Staffords as they waited for the water levels to recede, including installing a commercial grade air scrubber and dehumidifer, a vapour barrier and several commerical grade dehumidifers.

“Our contractor is in the process of submitting an estimate to Intact on the extent of damage and scope of repair works to be completed,” the company stated. “We expect repairs works to start soon. We empathize with the Staffords’ situation, and understand that this is challenging period for them.”