Only 150 displaced by flood remain at shelters

Some seniors bused to far-off Bashaw lodge

The several hundred displaced Calgarians staying in temporary city shelters dwindled Wednesday to only 150 in a few post-secondary dorm residences, nearly a month after the flood.

Many are leaving dorms for their reopened homes, but 48 have found new refuge far, far off-campus.

The town of Bashaw is a 230-kilometre drive away from East Village, up the Queen Elizabeth 2 Highway, east at Red Deer and then northeast along lesser rural highways.

Four dozen flood-displaced Calgary seniors made this trip by bus Wednesday. They’ll call a vacant lodge in Bashaw their home for the next several weeks, as a nonprofit housing firm casts a larger net than expected in search of homes for tenants of flood-damaged Murdoch Manor.

It’s more than double the distance of Olds College, the temporary home for 60 other residents of the East Village manor.

Despite the distance, Trinity Place Foundation had no problem finding seniors willing to board buses to Bashaw (population 873) from their city-provided shelter at a west Calgary college dorm, the agency’s CEO said.

“For some it might cause some distress, though others view it more favourably,” said Lawrence Braul.

“We didn’t want to be in a situation where we’re hauling people off in a direction they didn’t want to go. They volunteered.” Bethany Care Group, a Camrosebased agency, offered up Bashaw Lodge after moving residents last month into a new building in the same village, Braul said.

“We are very confident that our residents will be well cared for and will get a unique taste of rural Alberta. What a gift!” a message on the foundation’s Facebook page says.

Ambrose University College’s residences are still hosting about 50 residents from Murdoch, which should have restored power by mid-August, Braul predicts. Those remaining should find homes by Friday, likely among several sites including some in Crossfield, Cochrane and Lethbridge, the CEO said.

The University of Calgary residences are still home for another roughly 100 displaced Calgarians, still unable to return home to a variety of flood-damaged homes. That’s on top of 220 High River residents staying on the campus, said university emergency operations official Bob Maber.

The school has asked the city and province to find alternative places for all evacuees by July’s end, to prepare for students’ arrival in midAugust.

Earlier, U of C had been temporary home for about 500 flood-affected Calgarians, and early in the crisis hundreds were also sheltered at city recreation centres.

As a dwindling number of city residents remain in city-sponsored relief shelter, it’s unclear how much of a need there still is for temporary trailer camps for displaced Calgarians, which the city had considered for vacant lands near Royal Oak and Garrison Green neighbourhoods.

“I’ve heard nothing at all, about it,” said Ald. Gord Lowe. He represents the northwest site that was rezoned for a temporary neighbourhood without any public consultation, under state of emergency powers.

The city’s emergency director had spoken earlier this month about the potential to house up to 900 residents. City officials were not available for comment Wednesday on the progress of these trailer neighbourhoods.

There’s also a plan for trailer-style housing for up to 1,000 displaced High River residents in a southeast Calgary industrial park, and one slightly larger just north of the flood-battered town. The province was supposed have both open by July 13, but neither are open yet and the government hasn’t yet offered a new timeline.

For some it might cause some distress, though others view it more favourably LAWRENCE BRAUL, TRIN

ITY PLACE FOUNDATION

CEO