A June storm in Carrot River resulted in many fallen trees in the community. (Submitted photo/Jordan SInclair)

By Cam Lee

Carrot River cleanup update

Contractor lined up for Carrot River tree cleanup following June storm

Oct 2, 2024 | 2:53 PM

The Town of Carrot River has issued an update for residents about the cleanup from the major storm June 23.

Strong winds led to significant damage across the region, and many residents are still in need of help removing toppled or broken trees.

Community Development Manager Miranda Blaber told northeastNOW it has taken a while for residents to get through the cleanup process.

“There (are) trees down that are unsafe to remove or they are such a size that people cannot remove them by their own means,” Blaber explained.

The municipality went looking for businesses that would be able to safely remove the remaining damaged trees from town, and private property. BJ’s Yardscapes of the RM of Moose Range was enlisted to do the work in the area with the necessary equipment.

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Blaber said residents need to reach out to BJ’s Yardscapes to arrange assistance, and it will be invoiced to the property owner.

“We’re just kind of making the arrangements to make sure that there is somewhere for people to call to get help, because that was proving to be rather difficult.”

Blaber said many homeowners had their insurance claims processed and are looking to get tree removal done before winter. She added there are still some waiting for their claims to be processed.

Winter weather isn’t the only concern. There is also a timeline to follow with those that have applied to the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program, or PDAP. Blaber said homeowners who have accessed those funds and have not been eligible for insurance have six months from the date of the storm.

Blaber said she did not know how many claims have been processed, but she said some homeowners are still waiting for responses from their insurance company before they can start the final cleanup.

Anyone still planning to apply to PDAP to help pay for the services can stop into the town office to pick up a form and reach out to PDAP to find out the correct steps to take to move forward.

“We encourage them – if you plan on going that route, make the phone call (to PDAP) and have the conversation before you have anyone come in to do the work with you,” Blaber said.

She said residents need to get a quote and go through the process of PDAP application prior to having the work done and paying the contractor.

“People really want to have their yards cleaned up before the winter months set in, and (in) some places it’s a matter of safety,” Blaber explained. “You don’t want to have another big storm and have a tree come down on your property or hit buildings.”

Some trees were damaged during the storm and remained standing, and Blaber said that can be a safety issue.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @northeastNOW_SK