Executive Council
May 29, 2017

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Premier Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Premier Ball Provides Update on Mud Lake Flooding

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in this Honourable House to acknowledge the efforts of those who responded to the serious situation in Mud Lake over the past few weeks and also to recognize the efforts that are still underway to assist residents in getting their lives back together.

Our government is committed to helping the people of Mud Lake as they deal with the terrible effects of this flood.

During the initial flooding event and immediately afterwards, local residents, emergency management partners and all levels of government came together quickly and appropriately to support those who were impacted.

I would like to thank the many organizations and departments who worked around the clock to ensure the safety of the people of Mud Lake.

This includes Mario Berthiaume of the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment, staff at the Emergency Operations Centre, Judy Bond and everyone at the Canadian Red Cross - Newfoundland and Labrador, the Salvation Army, Newfoundland and Labrador Division, officials with Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, the S.P.C.A, the Department of Transportation and Works, and the Department of National Defence.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize staff of the Intergovernmental and Indigenous Affairs Secretariat - Happy Valley-Goose Bay, the Labrador Friendship Centre, the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay and everyone else who pulled together to help in any way they could.

No gesture was too small, I can assure you.

I visited the community last week along with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment and the MHA for Lake Melville as we implemented early roll-out of applications for disaster financial assistance.

The visit also provided an opportunity to explain to residents in person how multiple departments were working to assist them – both during the initial event and also as we moved into the recovery phase.

Mr. Speaker, we will be actively engaging the Federal Government in leveraging all available federal funding to help the people of Mud Lake.

I am also pleased to thank Public Safety Canada and the Department of National Defence for granting our request to assist with options to house those in need of longer-term accommodations.

Questions raised about the cause of this “never in a lifetime” event are shared by this government.

We need answers in the form of an Independent Assessment. We have started that process and are committed to getting answers to fully understand the situation that occurred.

Mr. Speaker this government will continue to assist wherever we can and make it safe for people as they return to their homes and to help them access accommodations, insurance, and disaster relief in their time of need.

Thank you.

2017 05 29                              1:55 p.m.