ALVENA — Rural Municipality of Fish Creek Reeve Ryan Sawitsky says it will take months to fully assess and repair the extensive road damage caused by this spring's flooding.
They have yet to finish assessing the extent and cost of the damage to their roads brought by the intense flooding due to the snow’s rapid melt in the province, compounded by the spring thaw from Alberta and heavy rainfall.
The spring flooding has left the RM with extensive road damage, and repairs are expected to take months, with at least one project costing more than their entire annual gross revenue of around $1.3 million. The RM were one of the hardest-hit communities, with 36 roads sustaining damage.
The financial impact remains difficult to calculate because additional rainfall has continued to damage roads that initially appeared stable. The total costs for the other repairs are still being assessed, since one road they thought was a simple fix was again damaged, so they have to shut it down again.
Sawitsky said that while some roads in their municipality have been temporarily reopened to traffic, many still require permanent reconstruction after floodwaters washed away road material and weakened the infrastructure beneath them.
"Some of them were passable. We would be able to blade through them. Still, they're lower, like washed out,” said Sawitsky, who attended the government’s announcement of more funding for disaster assistance on Thursday, July 16, at the village’s community centre 62 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
“We had material that washed to the ditch. So, we are going to have to fill back in with more material. We've bladed it through and put gravel so the public can get through it, but it's going to get repaired to get back to height.”
Community Safety Minister and Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, Michael Weger, announced changes and updates to the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program regulations to increase assistance for those affected by disasters.
"Our government is here to help and support our communities in the face of disasters. The recovery process after an incident can be challenging and long. The changes announced today will lessen some of that burden and improve resiliency for communities recovering from disasters,” said Weger.
These changes will expand eligibility for individuals, small businesses and other eligible claimants, while providing communities with support for mitigation and resilience. The regulatory changes improve municipal and community recovery supports and mitigation incentives.
It is also more closely aligned with the updated federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, resulting in a stronger and more equitable program. The regulations apply retroactively to April 1, 2026, allowing recent claimants, including those affected by the recent flooding, to be assessed.
Sawitsky said the changes to PDAP will improve recovery efforts of those affected by disasters such as the recent flooding. Funding provided by the program would help municipalities build infrastructure, such as culverts, to manage stormwater and prevent flooding.
He added that rebuilding roads properly is essential to preventing future washouts. Simply replacing gravel without raising the road and improving drainage would leave the municipality vulnerable to the same problems during the next major flood.
Although flooding disrupted travel, Sawitsky said no residents became completely isolated because emergency access was maintained through alternate routes, and there was no risk of emergency services being unable to reach someone.
The damage has also placed a heavy burden on local farmers, many of whom have been forced to take longer routes to reach their fields as damaged roads remain closed or restricted, and reopening them had become a top priority for municipal crews.
SARM welcomes changes
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities welcomed the PDAP changes after hearing from its member RMs about the significant hardships caused by this year’s flooding, including damage to municipal infrastructure, growing financial pressures, and impacts on residents and local businesses.
The regulatory changes include:
- Increasing the maximum assistance for individuals from $240,000 to $500,000, increasing the maximum assistance for small businesses from $500,000 to $3 million, and basing compensation on standard replacement value rather than depreciated value.
- A new municipal incentive, allowing local authorities to lower their deductible by meeting emergency management and preparedness criteria. A new maximum deductible introduced for larger municipalities, tied to federal thresholds, making costs more predictable and manageable.
- Additional assistance of up to 25 percent of a claim's value is available for projects that reduce future disaster risk, subject to program rules and funding, and contingent on a shift to compensation based on standard replacement value rather than depreciated value.
SARM is optimistic that these enhancements will help address many of the concerns raised by members, including improved access for municipalities, streamlined processes during large-scale events and the province's ability to designate affected areas without formal requests.
