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Hay River flood recovery costs could surpass $170 million: MACA

The cost to rebuild and repair the damage inflicted by unprecedented flooding in Hay River and the K’atlodeeche First Nation is now expected to be in excess of $174 million, according to a report from the NWT legislature.
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Extensive flood damage in Hay River that occurred in May is now projected to cost upwards of $174 million in repairs, according to the territorial government. The Canadian Press/Ho-Caitrin Pilkington/Cabin Radio

The cost to rebuild and repair the damage inflicted by unprecedented flooding in Hay River and the K’atlodeeche First Nation is now expected to be in excess of $174 million, according to a report from the NWT legislature.

The report, tabled on Oct. 14, states that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs expects to face $112.4 million in costs associated with damage from the spring floods by the end of the fiscal year, and $61.7 million in additional expenditures for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

“The Town of Hay River and the K’atlodeeche First Nation were impacted with varying degrees of severity,” the document states. “There remains uncertainty with the spending projections as quotes have not been received for all aspects of work and unanticipated costs may still arise as work progresses.”

The new cost estimate is several times higher than the sum indicated in a preliminary assessment released by Hay River’s senior administrative officer Glenn Smith in June.

That assessment put the repair bill at $22 million, with an additional $30 million for mitigation efforts.