As spring breakup season approaches, some residents of Little Buffalo River, a collection of cabins outside the main area of Fort Resolution, remain frustrated with what they feel was a lack of attention to home repair following a flood last year.

Little Buffalo River experienced rapidly rising waters on May 13, 2021, due to ice buildup upstream SA国际影视传媒� around the same time that historic floods hit Jean Marie River, Fort Simpson and Fort Good Hope along the Mackenzie River.

Rising waters, which residents said had not been seen in decades, inundated the homes located about 110 metres from the body of water.

The GNWT Department of Municipal and Community Affairs said that at least six dwellings along the road were damaged during the 2021 flood. The department oversaw repairs to four of those homes but two had to be replaced entirely.

Two residents on the route complain that they would have taken the replacements themselves, especially since they are residing in aging shelters year-round.

Joe Fabien, who retired as a long-time Northern mine worker in July 2019, has lived alone in a wood-stove heated home since Pine Point closed in 1988.

His place is out of range of internet or cellphone service and he keeps up basic maintenance by himself.

Fabien said he was grateful to get help from the department with flood-related damage to his homeSA国际影视传媒檚 flooring and skirting, but added that he would have welcomed other repairs to better accommodate his living situation as he has a sagging roof and cracks in his walls.

SA国际影视传媒淚t kind of pisses me off because they are bringing in a big house for one person (each) when those units could have went to Jean Marie or Fort Simpson, where a larger family could use it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 not jealous or anything but, you know, they just patched me up and had an engineer take a look at my flooring. They said they could jack up the house (to install pilings) but they never jacked up the house. They just fixed my floor and that was it.SA国际影视传媒�

Some of FabienSA国际影视传媒檚 complaints bleed into discontent that as a recently turned 65-year-old Elder he should be receiving assistance in his home with regular upkeep.

But the department says that there are programs for that type of help SA国际影视传媒� they just doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 fall under MACASA国际影视传媒檚 purview.

SA国际影视传媒淢ACA does not have a mandate in this area,SA国际影视传媒� spokesperson Jay Boast said, referring News North to Housing NWT. SA国际影视传媒淣WT Housing has a Seniors Aging in Place policy.SA国际影视传媒�

Gus Pasowisty, another year-round occupant of a five-metre-by-five-metre cabin for 25 years, had even sharper complaints. His home, consisting of a bunk-bed, a wood stove and other minor pieces of furniture, was hit hard with water from the flood.

He said his deck was ruined and his entire floor and part of his wall had to be cleared and replaced due to wetness and mould.

He and his daughter spent three days last spring travelling to the dump to remove damaged material like flooring, insulation and wall cover.

Pasowisty said MACA contractorsSA国际影视传媒� assistance amounted to a SA国际影视传媒渜uick jobSA国际影视传媒� at a cost of $37,000.

SA国际影视传媒淚 probably spend more time out here (on Little Buffalo River) than anybody,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hy didnSA国际影视传媒檛 (MACA) come up to me and say weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to build you another cabin? Nope. They said, well, weSA国际影视传媒檒l give you $37,000 to fix your cabin and this is what I got.SA国际影视传媒�

Most of the items inside the cabin were damaged or lost, he added, and his deck was ruined.

SA国际影视传媒淗ow two people can get that (two brand new homes) and they leave me with this, I donSA国际影视传媒檛 get,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 gotta fix everything. I gotta fix my deck. I gotta raise my house myself.SA国际影视传媒�

Pasowisty said he isnSA国际影视传媒檛 worried about another flood this year because itSA国际影视传媒檚 out of his control, but said it seems unfair one mobile home is being installed directly across from his residence while another one is being constructed a few lots down his lane.

The department, however, says that while there were two replacements in the area, there was no unfair treatment and they were awarded based on normal assessments conducted following flooding protocol.

SA国际影视传媒淚f the damage assessment and engineering review indicated that a house could not be repaired, the resident was offered a replacement house,SA国际影视传媒� Boast stated. SA国际影视传媒淚f the repair was feasible, the department offered those residents support in having the repairs completed.SA国际影视传媒�

Boast added that in the case where the department replaced or repaired homes SA国际影视传媒渆very homeowner was required to submit documentation verifying that the impacted residence was their primary residence.SA国际影视传媒�