Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 20, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba S u it d a sunday free press Magazine sunday free press editor Buzz Currie 697-7292 by Winnipeg july 20, 1997 by Hood an Ltd or victims Pray they can rebuild before Winter sets in w they re asking people to put out Money and what if they come Back and say no where does that leave people who have done the work forty one inspectors were in the Field doing the original assessment and some of them Are now staffing the phones for people with questions. And 140 assessors were brought in from across North America to evaluate the claims working 10-hour Days seven Days a week. Empty space in a Garry Street office building was transformed into a work area Complete with furniture phones and computers arranged by the province. Clayton says now that the initial letters Are out about 2,000 claims will be revisited to answer specific questions such As whether the Couch should be replaced. A now we re Able to look at How Marc Gallant Winnipeg free press Val Hiebert with grandson Scott Mundey has spent lot of time waiting for award letter. Paul Affleck and Mark Schel Lenberg Cool off during a break working at Bernices House. Much damage was done and Deal with individuals on their personal recovery a a he said adding their customer service representatives handle about 200 Calls every Day. And people still have a lot of questions although the announcement that Money is being committed to flood proofing Homes will alleviate some of the rebuilding concerns. While its Clear now that the first number you see May not be the final total some people still Arentt convinced the process to decide the remaining amount will work. Paul Tetreault whose wife a grandparents live in Ste. Agathe says they a rather have an answer up front even if its bad news than be stuck not knowing. A a they re asking people to put out Money and what if they come Back and say no where does that leave people who have done the work a he says outlining questions they have about a Bathtub a picture window and Kitchen cupboards. He said he thought the inspectors and estimators would assign a value to repair the House and then homeowners could work within that budget. Clayton said that was impossible because Many Homes were still wet or Hadnot been gutted when inspectors visited. He said they would have made notes on everything they saw and homeowners should now Call 945-3050 to ask specific questions. A i hear people saying a i done to Trust you a but in be never been dishonest with somebody a he adds. Wayne Mudry a Bernices son a does Trust that hell get his Money. He a already got a contractor putting in insulation and installing drywall. A if i wait for them it la be another flood before this ones finished a he said taking a break from sweeping his driveway. A a lot of people Are waiting to see the Money they have. And everyone will Start at once. Where will they get All the people to do the work a meanwhile his Mother who makes the 18-Kilometre drive from her Sisters Winnipeg House to her Home every Day Hopes one of those contractors will have time to put her Home Back together before Winter. And that there will be enough compensation Money to pay for it. She stands in the Middle of her gutted Home pointing out where the fridge used to be and which space was her bedroom and the China Cabinet that Wayne made for her that she Hopes can be refinished. A a in a not a Spring Chicken a the feisty widow says. A i had a Little bit of Money in the Bank enough that nobody had to worry about me. A now All my furniture and everything is gone. And by now i should be fixing Wayne Mudry has started rebuilding trusting that hell get compensation. Bernice Mudry top photo feels that she has been let Down a something awful. A by Kim Guttormson staff reporter _ Bernice Mudry voted for Premier Gary Filmont a party. Three times. Now she wont let a reporter write Down the word shed like to Call him. A your Premier is cutting everything Back and i have no idea Why he a doing that a the 82-year-old says standing in what used to be the Kitchen of her Small Home. A a in a very very disgusted. He a let us Down something Mudryy a House a the one she moved into 54 years ago and raised both her children in a is an empty Shell like so Many across the Valley. The Walls on the main floor that sat with five feet of water against them for weeks Are drying out but the Dank smell from her unfinished basement still wafts up the stairs. Her award letter from the province was one of the first to arrive. It set the Short Spunky woman in the Middle of a Media frenzy As her Neighbours on red River drive in Ritchot became infuriated by her apparent maximum award a $9,406.56. It turns out it was simply a starting Point that More Money would filter Down As the receipts for repairs came in. But it was a flashpoint for a lot of misunderstanding anger and rumours that flood victims a two months after the water has gone a Are dealing with. As much As anyone hates to admit it Winter Isnit that far away and it brings a close to the construction season. Hundreds of people Are still living with relatives in rented apartments and in campers and trailers in their driveways. Anger is perfectly understandable says Harold Clayton the emergency management organizations executive director. A danger is a dynamic of an event like this a he says. A we knew we were facing that one Way or the other. People As part of the grieving process seek a target. A if we were there the Day after with a construction Crew people still would be some of that was spurred by Filmont a earlier comments a met by nodding and murmured agreement from some a that people had to take some responsibility for build ing in a flood Plain. But much of the present anger seems to Stem from the frustration of waiting a waiting for an inspector to look at their Home waiting for someone to assess the claim and then waiting for the award letter to arrive. Mudryy a daughter Val Hiebert who lives across the Road spent most of last week waiting for the mail to come and with it a hopefully a her award letter. A my Good grief its the Middle of july already a Hiebert said standing in front of her gutted Home. While it seems like forever to a family of five living in their camper Clayton says the process worked faster than Ever before. Within six weeks 3,580 award letters were ready to be sent out a each with the signature of Clayton a task that took 36 hours alone ;