Yukon announces flood relief funding

The Yukon government will pay for repairs to flood-damaged homes in the Southern Lakes, Lake Laberge and Liard River regions, Premier Dennis Fentie announced Friday.

Two types of assistance will be offered under the government's relief plan:

• Grants to repair flood-related damage to permanent residences.
• Interest-free loans of up to $35,000 for cottage owners to repair recreational property.

In both cases, the money should help residents make immediate repairs to water-related damage to their homes, including flooring and wall damage as well as structural damage and improvements.

"Funding will also be made available for property owners who want to make their dwellings more resistant to the possibility of future high-water impacts that we may experience," Fentie told reporters on Friday.

"This could include raising the structure, adding sump pumps to basements and crawl spaces, and so on."

Fentie said he couldn't estimate how much the flood relief program would cost until all damage reports have been filed.

Water levels in the Southern Lakes reached an all-time high this summer, resulting in water damage to some homes in the Marsh Lake, Tagish Lake and Bennett Lake areas. Water levels on those lakes currently remain about a metre above normal levels for this time of year, and are not expected to receded for another few weeks.

The territorial government is also considering long-term plans to mitigate similar flood conditions in the future, Fentie said.

"I stress that this year, we experienced water levels highest in the recorded history of the Yukon, so this is quite new to all of us," he said.

"We will be consulting with experts in these matters: hydrologists, for example, to get a better understanding of what is possible and what is practical."