Canadian territorial government reveals how much flood recovery will cost

The Northwestern Territories government has announced that it is expecting flood recovery for Hay River and the Kátł’odeeche First Nation to cost more than $174 million.

In May, the town and its surrounding First Nations experienced historic flooding that forced residents to evacuate. Flooding was so severe that it damaged homes, roads, and key infrastructure such as water treatment plants lines and a local landfill.

A report tabled in the NWT Legislative Assembly last week revealed that the government expects to spend some $112.4 million by the end of the fiscal year to cover for damages resulting from the flood – with an additional $61.7 million over the next fiscal year.

CBC News reported that the cost estimate is considerably higher than estimates the town of Hay River had released in June. The town had previously projected that the estimated repairs and flood mitigation projects would cost approximately $52 million. In a statement at the time, Hay River senior administrative officer Glenn Smith suggested that the territory would cover roughly $23 million of that amount through the disaster assistance fund, with the town left to cover for the remaining costs.