Carnie's Comments

 

Oh, I can empathize.  I've been there and done that and I gave up and moved on.

A number of homeowners on Moose Jaw's South Hill have been dealing with flooded basements and water damage in recent weeks.  It happened along Main Street South where the aging and failing cast iron water mains are scheduled to be replaced this summer.

Those people are learning, just like I did, that the City of Moose Jaw won't come to the rescue.

I learned that years ago when a number of homes in my neighborhood had sewers back up.  The damage to my home was minimal but much worse for others.

The process includes filing a liability claim with the city and then it goes to a third-party adjudicator for a ruling.  For me, it was a frustrating, time consuming experience.

In the end, I got a gum-chewing guy from some company in Saskatoon on the telephone telling me why the City of Moose Jaw was not liable for the damage caused by the City of Moose Jaw's sewer system failing.

Oh, I could have taken further action but that would have taken time and money. 

And so, it strikes me that we're all paying for the renewal of our aging and failing infrastructure - some of us more than others.