Saskatchewan receives nearly $20M for 2013 flood recovery

Ottawa is giving Saskatchewan nearly $20 million in disaster recovery funding for damages from flooding in 2013.

Significant flooding in the spring caused major damage to homes, municipalities, First Nation communities, agriculture buildings, small businesses and infrastructure across the province, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada said in a news release this week.

The $20 million is an interim payment made through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program.

“Providing relief after a weather disaster not only helps restore Saskatchewan communities and support our residents, it maintains hope and potential for a full recovery. The financial burden of extreme weather events is extraordinary and this interim payment from the Government of Canada will assist with those costs,” said Saskatchewan Public Safety Minister Christine Tell.

The DFAA program allows provinces and territories six months following the end of a disaster event to request financial assistance from the federal government. Once an event has been designated under the DFAA, provinces and territories have up to five years to submit their final claim.

According to the news release, Saskatchewan requested two extensions following the 2019 deadline. The province’s new deadline to submit the final request for payment is December 2023.