Is coping with storm conditions and flooded homes and businesses, in the midst of the blast, achingly angst ridden and frustrating? Or is the aftermath more difficult to deal with as we clean out basements, remove mouldy couches and say goodbye to family treasures?
The first episode that creates the damage, usually doesn鈥檛 last that long, but what it leaves in its wake, can often take months and years to repair and replace.
We know that because some households, businesses and municipal governments are still picking up pieces from the 2011 flood. Mitigation, it seems, requires a lot of time, as well as money.
It now appears as if Estevan and a few other communities will be heading back to the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) table for relief once again, even as the City of Estevan is still collecting funding for PDAP approved recovery projects from 2011.
We will be joined by communities such as Arborfield, Carrot River and Shoal Lake which have also suffered significant damages inflicted by Mother Nature during the past week.
What should not raise concern right now, but does anyway, is the fact that unlike 2011, our provincial government鈥檚 ability to compensate those who have been struck hard in 2016 will be compromised simply because the provincial coffers are bare.
We expect these recent deluges will pretty well gobble up any money that was tucked away in a provincial piggy bank for catastrophic adventures, and we鈥檙e not even into the peak wildfire season in northern Saskatchewan.
Where will the tens of millions of dollars for PDAP assistance programs come from this time?
The current government is loath to raise taxes in fear of losing their popularity rankings, so they are having to make do without any fresh sources of income now that the province has quit growing on the economic/business fronts.
Will Estevan鈥檚 pleas for assistance end up pitting our MLAs against one another, even if they are on the same side of the Legislative Assembly?
Will the MLA representing Arborfield be pitching a 鈥渕e first鈥� plea for his constituents, while our MLA Lori Carr makes the case for the Energy City during backroom, in camera caucus tussles? They both realize that dollars will be limited this time. This is not 2011 and there is no real strength in the provincial economy in the foreseeable future.
Of course any public fencing matches among Sask. Party members will be seen as a golden opportunity for opposition NDP members to make some hay and gain some ground if they detect some infighting taking place. So we expect the Sask. Party will keep their political jousting matches behind closed doors and relatively quiet.
If the emergency response arms of the provincial government come up with the cash and further relief funds, without the proverbial tag line of 鈥渇uture consideration,鈥� it will be welcomed聽 by the hardpressed victims of last week鈥檚 storm.
But, we believe at this point, the process of recovery could be another case of having to show a lot of patience and a lot of plowing through application red tape, beforehand, understanding that much of that is necessary anyway, whether the province is rich or poor, since there needs to be proper procedures and policies to adhere to before the taxpayer funds can flow. But, with the experience of 2011 behind them, PDAP and the provincial government will be better prepared to handle the red tape. We鈥檙e just not sure they鈥檙e prepared to deal with the accompanying financial obligations and promises.
We will have to wait and see while the agonizing processes of restoration begin in earnest.
