As many of you already know, massive flooding across Southern Alberta has caused officials to declare a state of emergency in affected areas. Large portions of downtown Calgary are beneath the water and almost 75,000 residences were evacuated including local businesses, galleries, studios and homes located downtown. Shelters were provided for those displaced, and many members of the public who are not within the flood zones have graciously opened their doors to those needing help. So many volunteers arrived to assist in cleanup efforts and to help with water damage repair that many had to be turned away.

Not much information is known yet about how extensive the damages are or how much repairs will cost. Estimates suggest that the cost of cleanup and repairs will reach billions of dollars, and it may take up to a decade to fully restore the areas damaged. Companies similar to those who deal with Water Damage and Roofing of Lakeway have begun to make assessments in the area to help with the efforts. There are efforts being put in place to assess the damage and to help those who have been affected by the flood waters. Organizations like Calgary Arts Development and the Alberta Craft Council are gathering information from the galleries, studios and artists to gauge the impact on the community through online forms and requests for reports to gather details about the situation. Homeowners who have already got a home warranty plan from places like First American Home Warranty (https://homewarranty.firstam.com/homeowner/home-warranty/missouri) are able to get emergency plumbing, electrics, and other essential services right away thanks to the cheaper costs that the home warranty supplies.

At this time, we can report that the Alberta College of Craft + Design has not been affected by the flooding. The college is, however, closed for the time being. The last posted update indicates that the college will re-open on Wednesday, the 26th. Medalta, the historic clay district in Medicine Hat, has been affected. Medalta staff has still not been cleared to return to the site, but the flood waters from the South Saskatchewan River are
slowly receding. Medalta reports they do have a plan of action in place on how to deal with the flooding of Medalta, as many staff helped prepare for the flooding prior to it’s arrival. For more information on Medalta’s condition, see here: http://medalta.org/medalta-flood-update-230pm-mst-june-24.

The CCF/FCMA has been in touch with our colleagues at the Alberta Craft Council, and has offered to assist in fundraising efforts and other campaigns to support the craft community as the rebuilding process begins. The CCF/FCMA will share more information about ways in which individuals across Canada can support the Alberta craft community as soon as possible.