Calgary applied for just over $28 million dollars to help with the costs of that terrible storm. The trees were still in leaf and the weight of that heavy wet snow broke them down by the thousands. There were major power outages and traffic snarls. Homes, vehicles and a few people were hit by falling trees and branches. Many parts of the city's infrastructure was damaged. Snow-tember adversely affected more of the city than did the floods of 2013! It was the biggest storm event of its type in over 130 years!
Yet the province has decided that it did not qualify for any kind of disaster relief.
I worry about this decision. In my mind this could mean that if an environmental disaster should hit another municipality, that municipality maybe left on its own to solve (and pay for) the problem! Beiseker is just now starting to rebuild its modest contingency fund after the huge snows of December 2013 and January 2014. What if another similar incident happens this winter? Will we be left out in cold to fend for ourselves? I worry.
