High River camp saddles up
Site opening as new home for displaced flood victims
HIGH RIVER — Officially, it’s referred to as neighbourhood or community.
But a sign adhered to one of the dozens of trailers clearly labels the temporary “neighbourhood” for displaced High River residents as “Saddlebrook Camp.”
And for months — possibly even a year or more — the camp, roughly 10 kilometres north of the flood-stricken town, will be home away from home to hundreds of High River residents starting Wednesday.
“The goal is to bring people back into a community atmosphere and let them start the rebuilding process and recovery process from an emotional, spiritual and personal standpoint,” said Rick Fraser, the associate minister tasked with High River’s recovery and reconstruction.
About 100 displaced residents are expected to move into Saddlebrook starting Wednesday, and another 220 are expected Thursday.
Saddlebrook is being built to handle 1,200 residents. A second camp in Calgary is being prepared to accommodate 500 High River residents. Combined, that’s almost one-tenth of High River’s population. But the province isn’t sure how many will ultimately require housing in the camps.
“We’re prepared to accommodate them here for as long as they need and get them back into their homes as soon as possible,” said Fraser, adding it will cost $150 per person per day to cover food, lodging and transportation costs.
Rent will be free for the first 90 days. After that is anybody’s guess.
And guessing is something High River residents like Ainsley Tymchyna are getting fed up with.
Like dozens of other families, Tymchyna’s house in Hampton Hills sat underwater for weeks.
It’s infested with mould, considered unsuitable to live in, and a writeoff.
Her insurance company has said it will only cover damage to the basement. The government hasn’t told her what, if anything, it will pay out. Meanwhile, she and her husband, Greg, continue to pay their $2,000 a month mortgage payment to stay in good standing with the bank.
“We basically want a buyout so we can live elsewhere,” Tymchyna said.
“We bought in the one and only so-called safe area … there isn’t anywhere in High River for us to go.”
Currently, her family, including four kids under the age of six, has
The goal is to bring people back into a community atmosphere
RICK FRASER
been living in a show home in Calgary. It’s the fourth place they’ve stayed at since the June 20 flood, and that offer runs out at the end of August.
With a tight rental market and a large family to accommodate, Tymchyna fears they’ll have no other choice but to stay at Saddlebrook Camp.
“We’re not looking at a month and then our house is going to be ready to live in again,” she said. “Our house needs to be a complete rebuild. For us, the temporary housing wouldn’t be temporary, it would be like a yearlong stay. Which would be absolute hell.”
High River Mayor Emile Blokland acknowledged the toll the flood and subsequent displacement has had on residents physically, emotionally and financially, but said he expects those staying in Saddlebrook will be pleased with what they see.
“Being without a home or a place to lay your bed is probably the hardest thing that any one of us can certainly deal with,” Blokland said. “I know this isn’t their original home, but it’s certainly a step up from where they are.”
Crews have been working 24 hours a day over three weeks, preparing the site. Rows of trailers, each named after an Alberta town, sit ready for single people and couples.
Family units should be on site within a week, said the vice-president of the company overseeing the project.
“What was done in two and a half weeks generally takes two and a half months,” said Kurt Metivier, of Outland Camps.
Metivier expects about 120 staff, including cooks and cleaning staff, will stay on the site. The aim is to create a home away from home.
Four “lounge” trailers — filled with exercise equipment, pool tables and big screen TVs — are planned. One will be devoted as a play area for children.
“We’ve gone above and beyond what we normally do,” said Andrew Walker, director of operations for Outland Camps.
Finishing touches are being made on three dining areas: The Grill, the High River Cafe, and the Globetrotter (for international fare).
A soccer field and outdoor play space for kids are also in the works.
Raised boardwalks weave through the camp — more than double the width typically seen in work camps to accommodate strollers.
“We’ve tried to think of everything to make it a community again,” Fraser said.
But that’s of little consolation to Tymchyna who is frustrated by a lack of answers, and “common sense” decisions coming from the province.
“To us, the amount of money that they’ve put into that camp when what we’re hearing from the amount of people that are actually going to be staying there doesn’t add up,” Tymchyna said.
“We’re going to do everything not to stay there.”