More Lake St. Martin flood evacuees to lose benefits

About 200 more Lake St. Martin First Nation members who claim to be flood evacuees will soon be cut off, as the federal government cracks down on ineligible benefit claims.

Officials with the federal Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Department told CBC News that 201 claimants will lose their flood evacuee benefits effective Aug. 1.

That number is in addition to the170 Lake St. Martin band memberswhose evacuee claims were deemed to be ineligible earlier this year. They were cut off on June 1.

The Lake St. Martin First Nation was evacuated 14 months ago due to severe spring flooding, along with several other Manitoba reserves.

Frustrated with long wait

Band member Billy Kakewash, who has spent the past 14 months away from home, said he is frustrated with the wait to go back.

Kakewash said he is pleased to hear more fraudulent claims are being cut off.

"That's good they're cracking down," he said.

"They claim evacuees, but they shouldn't have been evacuees, but they are putting us in deficit. And what's the future for us if we go in deficit?"

When the Lake St. Martin reserve was evacuated, it was estimated about 800 people were forced from their homes and many were put up in Winnipeg hotel rooms.

By March, it had more than 1,300 registered flood evacuees.

As of June 26, Lake St. Martin had 1,109 flood evacuees who havere-registered for benefits, Aboriginal Affairs officials says.

The Lake St. Martin First Nationtold CBC News the vast majority of those who have lost their flood evacuee benefitsare persons who had been living on reserve for most of their lives, as well as those who turned 18 years old after the community was evacuated.

"All are willing to sign affidavits they were living on reserve," a band official said in an email.

$51M spent on evacuee expenses

The department says it has spent $51 million on covering flood evacuees' expenses, including temporary accommodations, as of May 26.

The provincial government has set up an interim village for Lake St. Martin flood evacuees at a former radar site near Gypsumville, Man.

But of the 63 housing units in the temporary village, only 13 are being lived in at this time.

Lake St. Martin First Nation leaders have said the only way their members can go home is if a permanent settlement is built on higher ground.

Band leaders have argued that their reserve was intentionally flooded through the use of water control structures to keep Winnipeg and farms downstream from damage.