Alberta’s NDP leader committed to helping northeast Calgary homeowners that couldn’t cash in on hailstorm roof rebates previously offered by the City of Calgary.

On May 5, Rachel Notley committed $5 million to the remaining 1,700 homeowners left on the waiting list for the City of Calgary’s Resilient Roofing Rebate. The rebate was made available after a devastating 2020 hailstorm that cause approximately $1.3 billion in damages.

There were approximately 70,000 claims, many of which were roofing claims. The City of Calgary opened a program that encouraged homeowners to upgrade the quality and strength of their roofing materials.

The City of Calgary launched a rebate back in 2021 to help homeowners who were hit hard by the June 2020 hailstorm. Many homeowners who were eligible for the rebate never received one after being left on the waiting list. The program ended in May 2022 when money for the program ran out.

“You all remember when the Calgary hailstorm did hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to your homes and your vehicles, it was a disaster. The City of Calgary tried to help, but they ran out of money and the UCP, well, they refused to pitch in,” Notley said during a speech last Friday.

“I commit to you that if we get elected, we will help. We will provide $5 million to help the remaining families who were not helped the first time.”

The City of Calgary saw significant uptake in the program, with waitlists for each offering, and an extension of the program in the November 2021 budget adjustments.

The 1,700 homeowners that were left on the waitlist would receive a $3,000 rebate under the same circumstances as the original rebate.

What is the Resilient Roofing rebate?

• The rebate launched in 2021 and ended May 31, 2022.
• The rebate was $3,000.
• You were eligible if you were the owner of a single-family, semi-detached, or duplex home and you replaced your roof after June 1, 2021.
• You could also be eligible if you provided proof of purchase of a certified Class 4 impact-resistant product.

The Resilient Roofing Rebate was nationally recognized, winning the first-ever resilience recovery award from the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR).

While more than 1,600 homeowners in northeast Calgary were lucky enough to claim the Resilient Roofing Rebate, other people like Cory Cardinal weren’t as fortunate.

Cardinal’s property was one of the many in the northeast that suffered damages during the 2020 hailstorm.

“The siding was all shot, all that had to go,” Cardinal said.

The news of $5 million that may go towards the people who were left on the waiting list is welcomed news for Cardinal.

“It’s going to help out with the bills for sure, especially with economy and the damages,” Cardinal said.