Ottawa, Ontario
Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in Canada. In 2011 and 2013, Alberta experienced two extreme weather events which caused significant damage to homes, First Nation communities, farms, and small businesses.
Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, announced final payments totaling $13,051,334 to Alberta through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program, to assist with recovery costs associated with the 2011 and 2013 weather events.
Under the DFAA, provinces and territories have 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. The original five-year limit for these events was 2016 and 2018, respectively; however, extensions requested by the province and the impact of the pandemic on provincial operations contributed to payment delays.
Eligible expenses under the DFAA include, but are not limited to, evacuation operations, restoring public works and infrastructure to their pre-disaster condition, as well as replacing or repairing basic, essential personal property of individuals, small businesses, and farmsteads.
