Businesses, renters and homeowners who suffered uninsurable losses in the Oct. 19 atmospheric river and flooding may be entitled to some compensation from the provincial government.
The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness confirmed Monday that residents in the North Shore’s three municipalities plus the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), City of Port Coquitlam and City of Coquitlam could apply for disaster financial assistance.
“DFA may compensate for sudden, unexpected and uninsurable losses that are essential. This may include building repairs to a damaged principal residence, replacement of essential personal effects, cleanup and debris removal,” the notice from the province stated.
The fund can provide up to $400,000 per claim, if approved, but it is not considered for losses for which insurance was reasonably and readily available. There are exceptions for certain personal items like jewelry, collectibles, artwork, antiques, silverware, furs, recreational gear, or items that were located in basements, crawl spaces or similar low-lying storage areas unless the basement, crawl space or storage area was being used as an essential living area.
The deadline to apply online for disaster financial assistance is 90 days from the time of the storm damage, in this case, Feb. 23, 2025.
