VICTORIA – On the one-year anniversary of the devastating slide in Johnsons Landing, New Democrats are calling on the government to keep its promise to residents of the area.
“The people of Johnsons Landing have lost homes. They have lost loved ones. They have been devastated and now they need help moving forward,” said Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall.
“This government assured them that they would get its full support – but a year later, they have received minimal compensation, and are still paying taxes on houses buried under metres of mud.”
“Following the 2005 landslide in North Vancouver, the province purchased the affected homes,” said Mungall.
“It is incomprehensible why this government fails to offer similar compensation to the people of Johnsons Landing, who can’t live in their homes, and can’t sell them either. For a year, they have looked to this government for leadership and compassion, and have received neither.”
“Our community has been devastated, and we are trying to rebuild,” said Johnsons Landing resident Kate O’Keefe. “We are looking for fairness and compassion from the government. We want the support the premier promised us.”
Following the slide, Premier Christy Clark assured residents that they “have our government’s full support as they recover.” Yet when the community received more bad news this spring, finding out that 12 houses were at high or very high risk of another slide, and residents would likely never return to their homes, this government responded that it would not consider property buyouts that would allow residents to move on.
In Question Period Thursday, New Democrat leader Adrian Dix and Mungall asked the minister of justice to account for this disappointing lack of support, but received no answers.
New Democrats stand with the people of Johnsons Landing in asking the government to provide long overdue compensation for the homes they have lost.
Watch Michelle Mungall talk about compensation for Johnsons Landing residents here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re0QvhqyFdE