A local contracting company was able to start rebuilding homes that were destroyed in the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire this March.
As the weather turned and temperatures started to warm, ARG Contracting was able to start rebuilding homes taken out by the fire.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long road for those who lost their homes,鈥� said ARG Contracting owner Adam Galbraith back in March. 鈥淔ortunately, all of our clients had adequate insurance to cover their new builds, although it has been a process to go through.鈥�
Additionally, some homes were going to insurance issues and it was a bit of a battle from company to company.
鈥淪ome of our clients have been provided a cheque upfront and we are breaking ground on construction, while others are experiencing longer timelines with their insurance providers and are still in the process of bidding and contractor selections,鈥� said Galbraith. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good time to review your policy and check areas like living expense allowances for while you are building, and the specific insurance provider鈥檚 coverage and process for home rebuilding in the event of a disaster like a wildfire.鈥�
According to Galbraith, some insurance companies have been pushing back on some of the items that need to be fixed like septic system removal and rebuild. However, because of the excavation process, agreements were made in some of the cases.
Mike Emslie and his wife, Westside residents, were two of the lucky ones as construction began on his property right away.
鈥淥ne day we had Samaritan鈥檚 Purse over going through what was left of the house, Adam came and met us right on site,鈥� said Emslie. 鈥淢y wife and I are very excited to get going with the build.鈥�
