Municipality faces $500,000 shoreline repairs after storm damage not covered by insurance

Municipality faces $500,000 shoreline repairs after storm damage not covered by insurance | Insurance Business Canada

Catastrophe & Flood

Town staff exploring grants to cover the costs

Catastrophe & Flood

By
Terry Gangcuangco

Callander is facing the full financial burden of repairing Centennial Park’s shoreline after its insurance provider declined coverage for the damage from a storm in April.

The council has projected that the necessary repairs, which involve reinforcing the shoreline with rock, will cost approximately $500,000. They aim to complete the work before the end of the fall season.

Mayor Robb Noon told BayToday: “Council is very disappointed that our insurers will not cover that storm damage from last spring. We’re looking at rebuilding now and how we’re going to do that without affecting the taxes.”

It was reported that, to alleviate some of the financial strain, town staff are exploring potential grants from both federal and provincial governments. The need for repair became evident after severe waves in April inflicted significant damage on the park, including the dock and the metal break wall that lines the shoreline.

A sidewalk that runs parallel to the shore was installed less than two years ago for $160,000 through funding by government grants, making its preservation a high priority for Noon’s camp, especially with spring and potentially rising waters on the horizon.

“We have to get some, if not all, of [the ballast rock] in this fall because if spring comes back the same as last year, we’ll lose our new walkway,” the mayor was quoted as saying.

It was reported that design plans for the new shoreline structure are already in progress, with the immediate focus on securing the rock reinforcement.

In light of the situation, Mayor Noon said they will reassess Callander’s insurance policy. “You go to the expense of getting insurance and you think things are covered, but they’re not,” he said.

It’s unclear who insures Callander and why the damage isn’t covered.

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