Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the flooding that just occurred in the South Slave was, perhaps, the largest natural disaster this territory has ever seen. The number of persons and properties compromised was extensive. The cost for the initial response and evacuation, which include contractors, additional staff, equipment, transportation, and continued accommodation needs, will only increase. Private and commercial properties will require abatement, repairs, and possibly replacement. The DAP applications received may well exceed 400 and costing an estimated $150 million or more. In addition to this amount, we must consider the cost of mitigating future damage to those homes in floodplains throughout Hay River and the NWT. Then, we may well be talking a billion dollars and counting. If we do nothing to mitigate flooding, then the cost will only increase overtime.
Mr. Speaker, this government has been dealing with flooding throughout the NWT for decades. Last year, it was Fort Simpson, Jean Marie, and Fort Good Hope. This year, it was Hay River, West Point, and K'atlodeeche.
Apart from modifying the Disaster Assistance Policy and placing pathfinders and assessors on the ground quickly, what, if anything, was learned from this and previous floods? Did this government, with all the resources at its disposal, do all it could to assess, predict, and mitigate the potential for flooding in the South Slave? Or was that responsibility placed on the shoulders of the communities, which lack capacity and expertise when it comes to predicting floods.
Mr. Speaker, when one looks at the extent of the Hay River watershed, we can see it extends well into Alberta and northeastern BC. As spring arrives, the quantity of water within the watershed is impacted by snowfall, ice quantity, ice thickness, glacial melt, rainfall, fluctuating temperatures, deforestation, natural and manufactured obstructions, and climate change, all being indicators when developing modeling to predict flood potential.
Mr. Speaker, in addition to personal abatement, mitigation, and repair of homes and businesses, we need to question what measures are available to mitigate future damage and what will that cost be. To determine mitigation measures, we need flood mapping to determine flood risk areas and elevations, an assessment of not only the river and climate conditions in around Hay River, and extensive analysis of the Hay River watershed if we expect to predict flood risk and develop long-term mitigation measures. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the past, blasting and drilling at the mouth of the Hay River was used. This method artificially pushed the location where ice jams occurred further out into the lake thereby allowing ice to flow in the river. Dredging occurred in the mouth of the Hay River but was discontinued many years ago. With some success, the latest method used is that of earth and berms along the shoreline at the West Channel. Whatever the methods we choose, it must be based on science and actioned sooner than later. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
