By Ashley Wiebe & Charles Lefebvre

Details revealed about Hilda fire recovery

Dec 20, 2017 | 2:36 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Agriculture and Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier has announced more details about the province’s assistance to people impacted by the Hilda wildfire.

Carlier announced earlier on Wednesday an assistance program is being set up through the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC). Under the program, eligible ranchers and farmers can apply for an interest free loan to help fund working capital, pay expenses and help replace assets.

“This will be able to assist producers, not just in Hilda, but the MD of Acadia and the County of Cypress, anyone who might have been affected, suffered losses from a wildfire will be eligible to apply for this program,” he said over the phone from near Whitecourt, AB.

Carlier provided more details about the plan, saying farmers and ranchers can access zero-interest loans of up to $25,000, and not have to make a payment on them for 24 months. He added he believed the program would be “well-received” in the area.

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When the announcement was first made, Andy Kirschenman, a resident of Hilda who has helped spearhead recovery, said it was welcome news.

“There’s going to have to be a lot of money put into infrastructure, fence lines and everything like that, especially in the area to get the land usable again,” he said.

Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes said on Wednesday he was initially happy once he heard the aid was coming, but changed his tune once he heard the details about the loan and the amount of money farmers are eligible for.

“I’m surprised at our NDP’s governments attempt to be compassionate here, and I think it’s a failure of [them] not coming down here and consulting,” he said, noting a limit of up to $100,000 for ranchers would be a better number.

Barnes says the $25,000 would not allow farmers to build their herds back up to pre-fire levels. He says bred heifers can go for upwards of $2,200.

“I’m surprised. You know, I’m not surprised that the NDP government didn’t consult fully, understand fully what our locals area input costs are and make sure that this was done to help all Albertans that were affected,” he said.

Cypress County Reeve Richard Oster was also ecstatic when he first heard the announcement, but was also hoping for $100,000 for affected ranchers.

“It’s not what we were hoping for as far as amount of aid that they were gonna get,” he said. “I think the number is very small. The repayment part of it, I struggle with that. I think that there was more room to help those people out.”

Oster adds he was happy to receive aid, and hopes more is forthcoming.

“We’re taking it as a first step,” he said. “We think it’s a huge step, that it’s still being looked at, it’s being recognized and now we’re just going to wait for them to take another step.”

The wildfire, which ignited on Oct. 17, burned approximately 35,000 hectares in Cypress and Acadia counties. The total amount of damage has not been tallied, but buildings, fences pastures and field have all been damaged.

Almost 200 head of cattle were killed as a result of the fire.

Cypress County has voted to pay for the cost of disposal of the dead animals and also agreed to refund property taxes from 2017 to affected landowners.

In addition to the loans, the Wildfire Water Supply Program will be available to help replace watering systems damaged by the fire.

Applications open up on January 8. For more details, contact the AFSC at 1-877-899-2372 or call the Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (310-3276).