NLIS 14
September 28, 2005
(Municipal and Provincial Affairs)
 

Ministers conduct site inspections on west coast to assess flood impact

Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs Jack Byrne, along with Joan Burke, MHA for St. George's - Stephenville East and Minister of Human Resources Labour and Employment, visited the hardest hit residential areas in Stephenville this morning, speaking with families whose homes have been destroyed by the flooding.

The province has committed its support to Stephenville and surrounding areas and will continue to work with towns and community organizations to ensure the safety of the public, provide emergency assistance, and clean-up services. "Now that the water has significantly dropped, we can see the full extent of the damage to some homes and begin the process of securing infrastructure," said Minister Byrne. "Officials with the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, and Emergency Measures Organization are now working to set up a process for assessing damage and for affected residents to make application for financial assistance."

NLEMO officials will be on the west coast tomorrow to meet with the various affected towns and distribute Damage Assistance applications. Applications for financial assistance will be available at town halls in Stephenville, Deer Lake, Kippens and Reidville late Thursday afternoon or Friday. Those requiring information on applications can contact the Emergency Measures Organization office at (709) 729-3703.

"I can not stress enough how critical it is to be on site, to visit the affected areas and to speak with residents as they try to come to terms with the magnitude of the damage," said Minister Burke. "Myself, Minister Byrne, Minister Rideout, as well as Premier Williams, have now seen firsthand the damage caused. This will be of great assistance as we determine how best to address the needs of residents."

Transportation and Works Minister Tom Rideout joined Ministers Byrne and Burke this afternoon to tour the Stephenville area following an extensive tour of Reidville, Pynn's Brook, Riverside Drive, and Gallants. Minister Rideout said, "The impact of the damage to roads and bridges is significant. We are doing emergency repairs immediately and assessing longer term needs. Our first priority is to have the damaged areas repaired so communities and residents have secure transportation routes and access to emergency services."

Media contact: Heather MacLean, Communications, (709) 729-1983, 690-2498 or heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca

2005 09 28                                      3:15 p.m.


SearchHomeBack to GovernmentContact Us


All material copyright the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server.
Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement