BRIDGEWATER - This town is getting the concluding payout from Ottawa to cover damage sustained to municipal property as a result of flooding that happened six years ago.

 Better late than never, the town's mayor said.

 "We would have liked to have had it sooner rather than later for sure," Mayor Carroll Publicover said. "But emergencies of that nature thankfully don't happen in our area very often."

 He was sympathetic to other agencies responsible for doling out the cash and gives them the benefit of the doubt this time.

 "A whole administration had to be put in place to deal with disaster relief and funding and I can understand the difficulty in sorting out what areas should get what and how much," he said.

 "I'm very forgiving in regards to the length of time it took, I'm just thankful we got as much as we did."

 Under a federal program used when provinces or territories can't cover the cost of disaster assistance on their own, the Harper government will pay Nova Scotia $7.5 million to help cover costs incurred by the province as a result of spring 2003 flooding, Public Safety Canada said last week.

 The province claimed $208,196 for damages to Bridgewater. If the town is getting paid that figure as a result of last week's announcement, no one knows for sure. Officials with different levels of government couldn't offer an immediate answer.

 "I'm not sure if that was the final disbursement all at once or if there is another disbursement." the mayor said.

 South Shore-St. Margarets MP Gerald Keddy guesses that it's the payment of the total $208,196 claim.

 Between the length of time municipalities take to file their claims and the bureaucracy the paperwork faces when it's filed, delays can happen, Mr. Keddy said, noting sluggishness in paying out the money is not something he likes to see.

advertisement

 "Quite frankly it's unacceptable but it's the way the system works and I guess because there is such an infrequency of allocation that people wait for the payment."

 Floodwaters created by unprecedented rainfall combined with spring runoff in March 2003 damaged bridges and washed out roads in several communities, including Bridgewater.

 It took about two years for Bridgewater to receive $77,000 as a result of a 2005 flood disaster claim.

posted on 09/15/09