No interruption in disaster financial assistance for B.C. flooding victims

Those receiving payments for uninsurable disaster-related losses in the wake of the rain storm that washed across British Columbia’s Peace River Regional District in June, causing flooding, will not see any disruption should there be a postal strike.

View from the window of a private house in rainy weather

In collaboration with the regional district, the province “will be forgoing the usual cheque in the mail and, instead, is couriering them directly to the local authority, which will arrange delivery. In Dawson Creek, for example, city staff will hand-deliver these cheques,” notes an information bulletin issued Thursday by B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The money is available to help restore homes, small businesses or farms following disasters, including flooding.

To date, the ministry reports residents of the Peace River Regional District have made 144 applications to the province for financial aid through the Disaster Financial Assistance Program (DFA). “Approximately $70,000 in payments have been processed to date, although the deadline for submission does not close until Sept. 15, 2016,” the statement continues.

DFA has been authorized for the rain event for residents from Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope, Pouce Coupe, Taylor, Tumbler Ridge and the First Nations communities of Saulteau and West Moberly.

Related: B.C. highway reopens one week after flooding

Established in 1995, B.C.’s DFA has paid more than $19 million since 2007 to help individuals and small business owners recover from uninsurable disasters, including $1.5 million for eligible disaster claims in 2015 and $1.8 million in 2014.

“DFA is available to homeowners, residential tenants, small business owners, farmers, charitable organizations and local government bodies who were unable to obtain insurance to cover these disaster-related losses,” the ministry notes.