NE residents to receive hailstorm relief from city
Posted Jul 22, 2020 8:43 am.
Last Updated Jul 23, 2020 6:54 am.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Council unanimously passed a motion Tuesday night to provide financial relief to northeast residents affected by the costly hailstorm in June.
Tax credits and incentives will help residents recover from the damages, which have been estimated at $1.2 billion, the fourth most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history.
But Ward 5 councillor George Chahal says more help is needed.
“This storm warrants a comprehensive, multilevel response,” said Chahal. “The provincial and federal government have an important role to play in helping residents recover and mitigate future damage.”
READ MORE: Northeast communities devastated by hailstorm want all levels of government to help
A convoy planned by the Hailstorm Action Committee is set for Wednesday, which will see residents travel from Northeast Calgary to Edmonton, in hopes of garnering attention from provincial officials.
A convoy of northeast #YYC residents are heading to the Legislature, calling for more help for a violent hailstorm that destroyed homes and vehicles in the area. pic.twitter.com/UejV4mMXCa
— Crystal Laderas (@CrisLaderas) July 22, 2020
“The hailstorm has caused enormous financial and mental distress to residents in northeast Calgary who are already coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, economic turmoil, and job losses,” said Khalil Karbani, Hailstorm Action Committee spokesperson. “We need immediate help to deal with a storm that has fundamentally changed people’s lives.”
The committee is calling for three specific things: a roundtable involving community leaders and the three levels of government, a formal application made to the federal government for disaster relief funding, and a confirmation that insurance premiums will not spike because of the storm.
Chahal has pushed for use of better materials for repairs, using things like sturdier sidings and windows.
“There will be another storm. If our communities are better prepared and more resilient, we’ll all save in the long-run and we won’t need to keep having this conversation,” he said.
