Spring 2022 flood aftermath in Hay River like ‘wild west,’ says Premier R.J. Simpson

“We can continue to face the these kinds of emergencies in the years ahead — floods, wildfires and other hazards are becoming more frequent and more severe.”

  – MACA Minister Vince McKay

Two after-action reviews into historic natural disasters in 2022 (floods) and 2023 (wildfires) make recommendations for stronger community support, clearer roles and training for responders, improved communication systems, updated evacuation planning, and expanded mental health supports.

The 2022 Emergency Response and Recovery Report into unprecedented flooding – delayed due to the widespread emergencies and evacuations of 2023 – shows more than 4,000 residents of Hay River and neighbouring Kátł’odeeche First Nation Reserve were impacted by ice-jam flooding.

It damaged approximately 500 homes, business and community infrastructure and left roughly 43 contaminated sites. The total cost for the 2022 flood response and recovery is estimated at $93.6 million and is expected to take until 2027 to complete.

Premier R.J. Simpson, who is also MLA for Hay River North, said he has a number of constituents including Elders “in a tough spot” still dealing with issues including fraud from what felt like the “wild west” after the flood in 2022.

“We had a whole community that was reeling from a disaster … they were out of their homes, their homes were destroyed,” he told a media conference on Thursday, adding that paperwork required to be filled out by claimants might not have been clear. “We also had a number of companies come in from down south — and when you have hundreds and hundreds of homes in the community, these companies go in and they start doing work. And sometimes there might not have been any flood damage in that home.

“Maybe they did a bit of work, but they charged the maximum amount because they knew how much was available from the government. We have, you know, some individuals who paid contractors for things they never got.

“I have a number of constituents who are still dealing with these issues. I have constituents, Elders, who are in a tough spot because of some of the things that happened.”

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In addition to the recovery funding, the federal government is investing $1,164,288 to enhance an existing berm along the West Channel village in Hay River and provide a barrier between land and water.

Concerns over the lack of private insurance coverage — whether because it wasn’t available, or wasn’t purchased — were also brought to the fore during the flood.

MACA Deputy Minister Gary Brennan said the federal government is currently working at a flood insurance program .

“They’re looking across the country at the flood insurance (which) is not largely available in Canada — certainly not in the Northwest Territories,” he said.

“In Hay River, the 2022 flood, there was just a handful of people who had insurance. So most people weren’t covered.”

The GNWT has also released its ‘formal’ response to the 2023 Emergency Response After-Action Review.

Many of the recommendations from both reviews have already been implemented, say officials, including:

• Updates to the NWT Emergency Plan to clarify roles and responsibilities.
• Launch of DriveNWT, a modern travel information site to improve public safety.
• Delivery of Community Emergency Planning Workshops and tabletop exercises in 21 NWT communities.
• Enhanced public readiness tools, including the annual “Be Ready” campaign and a new online emergency pre-registration system.
• Implementation of surge capacity protocols to ensure more resources are available during major emergencies, with 137 GNWT staff on the surge capacity list.
• Expanded training on the Incident Command System for GNWT staff.
• Staffing of regional emergency coordinator positions to provide direct support to community governments.
• Work is also underway to review the Emergency Management Act with Indigenous and community governments, and to align the Disaster Assistance Policy with updated federal disaster recovery programming.

The GNWT completely rejected only one report recommendation, that to establish a standalone territorial Emergency Management Agency, outside of MACA .

This due to the NWT’s small population and the likely difficulties in keeping it fully staffed year-round.

Premier Simpson said: “Over the past summer, we once again faced significant wildfire activity in the Northwest Territories. Fires threatened communities, impacted residents and put pressure on our emergency management systems. It was a stark reminder of two recent emergencies that tested our resilience, the 2023 wildfire season and the 2022 flood in Hay River and the Kátł’odeeche First Nation, these climate-driven crises underscore the importance of preparedness, co-ordination and learning from the past.

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“Our collective experiences have shaped our response. We are learning, adapting and building a stronger, safer and more resilient territory. Emergencies will come again with the lessons of the past two years and the partnerships we are building with those we are better respond and prepared to meet them.”