GOVERNMENT OF CANADA DELIVERS $1.2 MILLION TO SASKATCHEWAN UNDER DISASTER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Regional Minister for Saskatchewan and Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale announced today, on behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, a payment of $1.2 million to Saskatchewan for the Vanguard flood of 2000.

"This flood, which was the result of record rainfalls in July 2000, damaged many homes and farms in the area," said Minister Goodale. "I am very pleased to make this announcement as the Regional Minister for Saskatchewan and I would like to assure residents of Saskatchewan that we will continue working closely with the province to review the impacts of similar events, such as flooding from this past spring."

On July 3rd, 2000 a record 333 millimetres of rain fell on the Vanguard area in less than 10 hours. This amount of rain is equivalent to the area's annual rainfall amount. Many residences in the area were impacted, as were many farms with damage to infrastructure, machinery and loss of livestock.

"The province is pleased to receive the federal payment for costs related to the major Vanguard flood in 2000," Saskatchewan Corrections and Public Safety Minister Peter Prebble said. "To date, the province has paid out $3.7 million in damages and the federal help is most welcome."

The Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement (DFAA) is the primary mechanism through which provinces and territories may seek financial assistance from the Government of Canada for eligible costs associated with disaster response and recovery. The objective of the DFAA is to assist provincial and territorial governments to cover the cost of returning public infrastructure and private properties to their pre-disaster condition.

The DFAA has been applied to a number of floods in Saskatchewan, including the spring flooding of 1999. Since the inception of the DFAA in 1970, the Government of Canada has provided more than $1.6 billion in disaster assistance funding to provinces and territories, of which $13 million has been distributed to the Province of Saskatchewan.

For more information on the DFAA please visit www.psepc.gc.ca.

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For More Information, Contact:

Alex Swann Office of the Honourable Anne McLellan Ottawa Phone: (613) 991-2863	Media Relations Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ottawa Phone: (613) 991-0657
Bill Derby Corrections and Public Safety Regina Phone: (306) 787-5883