The Alberta government’s announcement of another $189 million for Slave Lake relief efforts also includes money earmarked for municipalities who housed and fed evacuees.
Much of the $189 in funding, announced on August 3, will go directly to Slave Lake residents for interim housing. Nine million goes to the Town of Slave Lake to service a community of manufactured homes, five million for 100 households requiring emergency accomodations and another six million to house 50 essential workers, like RCMP officers and health care professionals, and their families.
Premier Ed Stelmach stressed the importance of bringing infrastructure back to what it once was.
“While we continue to see many day-to-day successes, it is now time to take a long-term approach to making this area whole again,” he said in a press release.
The money, packaged as a “Joint Recovery Plan,” will also go towards getting local businesses back on their feet and helping Slave Lake and surrounding municipalities recover their infrastructure and emergency response costs.
Minister of Municipal Affairs, Hector Goudreau, stressed the importance of recovery for all those involved with relief efforts.
“Such unprecedented disaster demands that we look at both the short-term and long-term implications,” he said. “Our efforts also extend to the neighbouring communities who took in displaced residents.”
For Athabasca, that means $190,000 in funds used up by evacuees housed at the Multiplex and around town.
Athabasca County Manager Gary Buchanan said all costs involved with the relief efforts were tracked, which included housing, food, medical travel, staff time and the use of the Multiplex.
“It’s the hundred and one costs that are incurred when you host approximately 1,500 people,” he said.
Minister of Infrastructure and Lac La Biche MLA Roy Danyluk explained that each municipality has had to make applications stating how much they spent during the disaster. From there, it will just be a matter of time before bills are processed and municipalities are reimbursed for costs incurred.
