NDP CALLS FOR DISASTER RELIEF FOR CALGARY STORM VICTIMS

CALGARY - After Calgary was hit by a devastating storm this past Saturday evening causing extensive damage in the northeast part of the city, the NDP is calling on the UCP government to declare the Calgary storm a disaster so that hard-hit Calgarians can access immediate disaster relief programs.

“This storm hit at the worst possible time for struggling Calgarians,” said NDP Leader Rachel Notley. “The UCP needs to move quickly to support Calgarians who are left picking up the pieces after this weekend’s storm.”

The storm caused damage to car windows and shredded the siding on houses. While flash flooding led to water in basements. 

“This comes at a time when our province is already reeling from the impacts of COVID-19,” said Irfan Sabir, MLA for Calgary-McCall. “Many have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced hours and I’ve already heard from many constituents who are saying the damage to their vehicles or house won’t be covered by insurance.” 

To make matters worse, Albertans are now paying higher auto insurance rates after the UCP lifted the cap. 

“This could be devastating to the financial well-being of those affected, many of whom are among the 365,000 unemployed Albertans and cannot afford to pay out of pocket to repair the damage” said Sabir.