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The Northwest Territories government says it is activating its disaster assistance policy to help residents whose property has been damaged by wildfires.
The policy is not new – it has appeared before during intense floods of recent years, allowing the territory to provide funding to individuals, businesses and community governments recovering from an emergency.
Ultimately, the territory then tries to get that money back from the federal government.
On Thursday, the NWT government announced the disaster assistance policy will now apply to eligible residents in Behchokǫ̀, Enterprise, Fort Smith, Hay River, Yellowknife Ndılǫ, Dettah, Jean Marie River, Kakisa, Wekweètı̀ and Sambaa K’e, and potentially also to the Ingraham Trail outside Yellowknife.
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In environment and communities minister Shane Thompson’s definition, the policy “can provide financial assistance to NWT residents who have suffered damage as a result of this unprecedented wildfire season.”
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs said the policy only applies to NWT residents whose primary residence, belongings or both have been damaged by a wildfire, and whose insurance does not cover the cost of restoring those essential items or that property.
You have until November 29, 2023 to file a claim related to wildfire damage from this summer.
If you’re a private homeowner, the damage must amount to more than $1,000. (Again, this is only damage you can’t cover through insurance.)
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A small business can claim if the damage is valued at more than $5,000, the business is owner-operated and has no more than the equivalent of 20 full-time employees, and its annual revenue is between $10,000 and $2 million.
A community government can claim if the damage caused is valued at more than five percent of the community’s operations and maintenance budget, averaged over three years.
More: Get the disaster assistance form and check the criteria
If you have questions about the policy or need help with a claim, email the GNWT’s disaster assistance team or call 867-767-9161, extension 20134.
Residents of Kátł’odeeche First Nation should note they may be eligible for the federal emergency management assistance program, which applies to people living on reserves.
The territory’s disaster assistance policy had a recent overhaul after being rolled out to address damage caused by flooding in Hay River and Fort Simpson. Thompson earlier said the policy had been reviewed for the first time in 26 years, and the cap on the amount private homeowners can claim was increased from $100,000 to $240,000.
Wildfires across the territory have already caused significant damage in some communities this summer. That damage currently includes:
- more than a dozen Kátł’odeeche First Nation buildings and the band office;
- 19 structures burned either in Behchokǫ̀ or along Highway 3 to the east of the community;
- cabins outside Tulita;
- cabins near Duncan Lake;
- the majority of homes and buildings in Enterprise;
- properties in Paradise Gardens and the Patterson Road area south of Hay River; and
- two cabins and a travel trailer on Hay River’s western periphery.
