Feds, B.C. form joint committee to coordinate flood recovery efforts
Posted November 26, 2021 7:44 pm.
Last Updated November 26, 2021 7:53 pm.
In the wake of deadly mudslides and devastating floods in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday the formation of a joint federal-provincial committee to coordinate recovery efforts.
He spoke after visiting Abbotsford, one of the province’s hardest-hit areas, where homes have washed away, and animals have had to swim to safety as authorities scrambled to keep residents safe in the city.
Although he was upset to see the destruction on his way into the valley, Trudeau highlighted the resilience of Canadians through times of hardship like these.
He said support has to go beyond weather-proofing homes, adding the province will also need financial help to recover.
.@JustinTrudeau says there will also be a joint cabinet committee that will deal with natural disaster responses and climate resilience to “map out the way forward.” This will serve as a model for the rest of the country. #cdnpoli @CityNewsVAN https://t.co/9qkQp9qzfu
— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf) November 27, 2021
“We need to rebuild more resilient infrastructure that’s going to be able to handle storms every few years because that’s the pattern we’re on. It’s going to be expensive, but it will be more expensive to do less or not enough,” Trudeau said.
The provincial and federal government’s joint committee on climate response and resilience comes ahead of what’s expected to be a difficult winter. Experts will join the group to offer their insight and to help develop a plan, but no further details about the committee or related funding commitments were provided.
“I think this joint committee is coming together because there is a very clear need right now, and a very clear desire for us to deepen the way we are working together, which was already great — but to respond with all of our combined capacity to this challenge of the moment and the future,” he said.
The committee will inform the way they approach disaster recovery response.
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The Prime Minister says British Columbians can trust the federal government to be there as a full partner through future disasters. Horgan agreed, saying he’s confident in the strength of B.C.’s fiscal position.
Still, the damage caused by the storms was unprecedented, shutting down the province’s three primary highways simultaneously for the first time.
“The Coquihalla is broken and will take months to repair. We want to get it up and running for services, we want to get it up and running for freight,” said Horgan. “Our economy, our Canadian economy, depends on it.”
Should another massive storm hit the province, Trudeau says he and his colleagues will be there for British Columbians. Horgan backed him up, saying he anticipates more storms soon.
“There are challenging days and months ahead of us, and we need to protect each other. We need to be prepared,” he said.
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Another issue is connecting remote Indigenous communities to the resources they need, which has been disrupted due to highway closures.
The premier also emphasized the importance of protecting B.C. salmon as environmental issues and fluctuating water levels continue to impact their populations.
Speaking to Canadians, Trudeau reaffirmed his commitment to adding funding to more provincial recovery programs.
“I’ve seen the best of people being there for each other, and quite frankly I am inspired and comforted by it because I know this will not be the last crisis Canadians go through,” he said.
“Canadians deserve a government that meets that capacity to be there for each other with that same ambition.”
It will cost money, but Horgan says the province is committed to funding what’s needed.
“Our intention in our preliminary discussions today is to continue to work with the municipalities up and down the Fraser, starting in Delta and going all the way up to Hope and beyond to make sure we’re working together,” he said.
Horgan and Trudeau said they’re taking lessons learned from the Lytton wildfires to build a better strategy for natural disaster recovery in the future.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Extreme weather events are going to be more frequent in coming months/years (now citing climate change, the need to build resilient infrastructure)…says this is why joint cabinet committee put together
— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 27, 2021
They both asked people to donate to the Canadian Red Cross. Due to matching donations from the federal and provincial government, if you donate one dollar, that will end up as three dollars toward the recovery.
