‘Those things, they’re gone’: Merritt flood evacuees face uncertainty about their future

MERRITT, B.C. — The City of Merritt is announcing it will keep 266 properties on evacuation order after the Coldwater River Flood because they are considered unhabitable.

Roger Robichaud spends his days cleaning what’s left of his home after the city deemed it unliveable.

At 81 years old, he will be starting over.

“The only thing I’ve got is a shell right now. Every appliance is shot. Brand new furnace up there, hot water tank, dining room set — everything is gone,” Robichaud told CFJC News.

He says insurance won’t cover the damage. The mayor of Merritt says she’s asking the government to cover the full cost of repairs to each resident’s home. Only 80 per cent of the funding is provided by Disaster Financial Assistance, residents are responsible for the other 20 per cent.

“I have had a conversation with Prime Minister Trudeau, and he has assured me that they will help with that,” Mayor Linda Brown said. “We haven’t gotten anything in writing, and I don’t know what help they will provide.”

While Brown waits for clarity from the prime minister, there is a shortage of places to stay in Merritt and many evacuees are still scattered across the B.C. Interior.

The city’s top priority right now is to get temporary housing built, which will resemble modular homes often used for work camps. But the mayor says evacuees need to fill out a housing needs survey on the city’s website to know how many homes they need to build.

“We had a number of illegal suites, and we don’t know who was where or what the family sizing is,” Brown said. “Do we need to look at one-bedroom units, two-bedroom units? We need to know.”

Robichaud says he is heartbroken about the things that cannot be replaced.

“My kids’ pictures, about good time,” Robichaud said, tearfully. “Dishwashers can always be replaced, but those things, they’re gone.”