Even when compensation is due to landowners from artificial flooding, they say it takes too long and they have to jump through too many hoops to get it.
Cliff Trinder says in the past 12 years, he’s had two years he’d consider normal use of the operation’s farmland, but he’s only ever received compensation for the 2011 season.
“I think I had submitted 60 pieces of paperwork and about 100 pictures, and after a lengthy evaluation process, I was paid,” Trinder said.
Cochrane says he sees flooding every year but has never received any substantial compensation.
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“We have tried to get compensation but have never received anything of substance,” Cochrane said.
According to McMahon, a number of producers throughout the province has received compensation and a number of other claims is still being processed, but says he understands that farmers may be frustrated with the lengthy process.
“That is a complex process and once you have defined how much was related to flooding, the agricultural experts become involved to determine what those losses were,” McMahon said.
Producers who have submitted compensation claims say the process is excruciatingly slow with little to no resolve.
“In 2014, they ran the river out of bank from basically April to October. We had 100 days of artificial flooding and they still haven’t dealt with that,” Trinder said.
McMahon admits the process “could likely benefit from some kind of streamlining.”
