Our province is no stranger to flooding. There have been numerous well-documented floods in Saskatchewan since Euro-Canadian settlement began. In 1952, Eastend flooded when a large snowpack melted. In the 1990s the Wadena area battled floods during several high-runoff years, when high spring runoff and summer rainfall caused the Fishing Lake to rise to flood stage. The flood remained a long time, and caused significant damage.

For the second year running, many areas of the Yorkton-Melville riding are battling excess rain and consequential flooding. Entire towns, farms, homes, and businesses have been affected, with devastating consequences. Weekly, the constituency office receives calls from people in distress wondering if and how the federal government can help.

The constitution of Canada states that flood plain management falls under the authority of the provinces, who are the primary custodians of water resources and land use. However, from the 1970s through the 1990s the governments of Saskatchewan and Canada agreed to cooperate in the business of reducing flood damage. Together, they assessed historically flood-prone areas and took action to restrict or modify their development to minimize flood damage. Yorkton itself was designated a flood plain in 2004. However, the deluge that surprised the Yorkton area last July 1st was both historically unprecedented and devastating.

The continued rainfall, high water table, and resultant flooding have increased the consequences of nature’s behaviour, harming municipalities and rural areas and hindering agricultural progress in much of Saskatchewan, including the Yorkton-Melville riding. The southeast area of the province is reporting only 44 per cent seeded as of June 23, and Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) is anticipating a large number of unseeded acreage claims.

In light of that, the Unseeded Acreage Benefit was increased from $50 to $70 per eligible acre, and the deadline to submit Establishment Benefit, paid on crops that fail to adequately establish or suffer significant damage due to insurable causes, was extended to June 30. All payments will flow through SCIC.

In municipal areas too, local government takes the lead, applying for government assistance where needed to offer essential help to the water-stricken constituents in the Yorkton-Melville riding.

(For more information on SCIC programs and benefits, producers can contact their local Crop Insurance office or call 1-888-935-0000.)

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The audio version of Garry's July 4, 2011 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here