Saskatoon declared an Eligible Assistance Area

FLOODING ASSISTANCE NOW AVAILABLE FROM PROVINCIAL PROGRAM

The Province has advised that Saskatoon has been declared an Eligible Assistance Area under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program. Residents of Saskatoon who suffered uninsurable damage from the rainstorm of June 29, such as water seepage or overland water flows, may now be eligible to receive assistance from the Provincial Program. Claims must be submitted before December 30, 2010, to be eligible, and work must be complete by June 30, 2011.

In order to apply, the Province requires that residents pick-up and return an application package at the front desk of Cosmo Civic Centre (3130 Laurier Drive – open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., or Saturday & Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) or from the City Solicitor’s Office at City Hall, 2nd Floor (222 – 3rd Avenue North; Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), or go online to download the package at http://www.saskatoon.ca and look under “F” for flooding. Return the completed form to the City Solicitor’s Office or Cosmo Civic Centre. The application package has information on the type of claim that is permitted and how the claims will be processed. The City will forward all claims to the Province, and the Province will be in touch with claimants after they submit their claim.

In situations where house cleanup is already under way, the Province asks residents to save samples of damaged articles, document the cleanup process, and take pictures to support the claim. The Province will be sending an adjuster to visit eligible claimants, usually within 30 days upon receipt of their claim.

If homeowners experienced sewage backup, they should contact their insurance agent.

In addition, the City will follow-up with residents who have contacted the City about sewage backup, to obtain information from them on the performance of the City’s sewer system including weeping tiles, back flow prevention devices, local sewer mains, and duration of flooding. This information helps identify where the water entered the system, as well as helps develop strategies to reduce or eliminate flooding in the future. The City asks all residents who experienced flooding to report it at 975-2476.

For more information, please contact the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program at 1-866-632-4033, or (306) 787-7800, or visit their website: http://www.cpsp.gov.sk.ca/ and click on the link to the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program.

For information on where to pick up or drop off forms, please contact the City Solicitor’s Office at

975-3270.