Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson went to bat for the residents who have been evacuated from their homes in Terra Ridge due to a landslide.
Doerkson noted that while the Emergency Support Services are of much needed immediate help and are appreciated, the constant timelines and the reapplication processes create unnecessary stress.
” Residents worried about where their next meal will come from or where they are going to sleep tonight should not be burdened with frequent reapplications and bureaucracy just to get the assistance that they need to survive. Madame Speaker, just imagine the stress going through one’s mind being evacuated due to flood, fire or landslides knowing that you will never ever return to that home.”
Doerkson went on to say that we owe this to these individuals to streamline this process and to make it as straight forward as possible.
He said that “we need to see all levels of government working together to mitigate the impact of future disasters and support residents when they require it.”
Doerkson also talked about a lack of support for them in the long term, taking aim specifically at disaster financial assistance that he said they didn’t qualify for due to the definition of unexpected and sudden loss not being met.
” I must express my bewilderment at this classification as in my view the circumstances unquestionably represent a matter of unexpected and sudden loss. This program is meant to provide support in times of need, natural disasters and events beyond a resident’s control. These people, Madame Speaker, were suddenly forced to evacuate due to earth moving below their homes, a situation well beyond their control and certainly couldn’t have been anticipated.’
Doerkson said governments are actively working to understand the extent of the slide’s impact on Terra Ridge, the community, and essential infrastructure in the community such as Highway 20.
In the absence of immediate solutions to curb the slide, he said “we really must deploy every single tool at our disposal to support these vulnerable residents.”
He said that leaving seniors who have contributed enormously to our community to suffer from massive financial loss is unacceptable and simply not an option.
Residents in four homes in Terra Ridge were ordered to evacuate back on September 29th.
Doerkson also noted that the other 76 homes in this area have not been impacted by this ancient landslide.
