Flood relief program delays force house demolition, Calgary woman says
Damage to Jocelyn Rempel’s home in Erlton spread while she endured months of DRP delays
A Calgary flood victim says she is fed up after getting months of what she calls runaround from the provincial disaster recovery program.
Jocelyn Rempel’s home in Erlton was badly damaged in the 2013 flood.
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Since then, the DRP has lost her file several times, she said.
And she was asked to provide at least 8 different contractor estimates because each time officials told her the quotes were too high, she said.
"They've only provided us with a more traumatizing event than the flood,” she said.
The province offered Rempel and her husband $30,000 to repair the interior, but it never settled on an amount to repair the foundation and exterior.
Rempel said the average quote to repair the whole house was $180,000.
CBC News tried to find out why Rempel faced so many hurdles, but the DRP said it will not comment on individual files.
The repeated delays allowed the damage to spread, so the couple was forced to knock the house down, she said.
"We are tired of waiting, because it’s emotionally draining and we can't do it anymore,” she said.
Rempel said they will have to go into massive debt to rebuild. But friends and family — even strangers — are stepping forward to help.
Architect Marvin DeJong with Prairie Drawing Room Inc. drew up $25,000-worth of plans free of charge. "If we can relieve a bit of that stress, we helped them out a bit anyways,” he said.