After tour, Prime Minister Harper pledges full support to hometown Calgary

After touring those areas of Alberta hardest hit by the flooding with Premier Alison Redford and Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is pledging support for his hometown.

Harper was given a helicopter tour of the disaster zone inside and south of the city and tells reporters he was shocked with what he found.

“You see all of these pictures on the television and Internet, but you don’t really get a sense of the destruction until you’re here in person,” he says. “As a Calgarian, I don’t know if non-Calgarians can appreciate just how much water there exactly is.”

He had been warned by his mother, who still lives in the city, that it had been raining for a few days but adds he didn’t really get a grasp of what happened until he saw it in person.

The Prime Minister began his statement with condolences for those who were killed in High River.

:First of all, all of our thoughts and prayers are with the people who have been affected by this, it’s a tough time, we have a couple of fatalities south of the city,” he said.

“Being a native Calgarian, I understand how water isn’t supposed to look like this, it’s an incredible event! We’re optimistic now because of the break in the weather but it’s been very bad elsewhere.”

Harper had great praise for the city coming together in its time of need and for the first responders working around the clock to keep the public safe.

When asked about the federal government’s role, he says that’s two fold.

He promised to keep the flow of Canadian Armed Forces and federal resources coming into Calgary and the region for as long as it may be needed.

There will also be financial assistance provided for the disaster but he stopped short of promising a timeline as to when the money will start to flow.

“There’s a set formula and it will all happen after this passes,” he says.

“The magnitude of the water is extraordinary, it could have a real impact on infrastructure so we’re hoping things subside,” explains Harper. “It’s stunning. My wife and I were looking at pictures last night, areas we know, I never imagined this could happen in this part of the country.”

The leader of Canada’s message to the people of Calgary and Southern Alberta: “stay optimistic, stay patient and we’ll get through all of this.”

Meanwhile, in a statement, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said: “On behalf of the City of Toronto, I would like to convey our full support to Mayor Nenshi and the City of Calgary in response to the recent flooding.”

“I directed the city manager late last night to offer full assistance to the City of Calgary. City staff have already contacted their counterparts in Calgary to support them in any way possible,” he added.

“To the residents of Calgary, our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.”