Federal MP calls for Ottawa to fund flood mitigation in B.C.
Posted December 12, 2025 7:32 am.
As the Fraser Valley struggles to keep its head above water, one politician is slamming the federal government for not doing more to protect vulnerable communities.
Conservative MP for Mission-Matsqui-Abbotsford Brad Vis was visibly frustrated when he stood up during Question Period on Thursday and told the House of Commons, “British Columbia matters.”
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!He was speaking out as several cities around the province — Abbotsford being the epicentre — are struggling to respond and recover from rising flood waters.
“Rising waters threaten homes, farms and critical infrastructure. The border is shut, highways are closed, supply chains disrupted,” said Vis.
He wondered out loud about what became of all the promises to improve things following the record-setting atmospheric river in 2021.
“The 2021 floods taught us our lessons, yet today, we find ourselves confronting the same vulnerabilities. Our roads, dikes and drainage systems remain inadequate to withstand the realities of changing weather patterns. These failures put lives and our economy at risk. I call upon the government to take immediate and decisive action.”
“The cost of inaction will far exceed the cost of prevention.”
He didn’t mention a price tag for how much money he wants to see set aside for flood mitigation.
“We must invest in modern, resilient infrastructure, strength and emergency preparedness and ensure that rural and agricultural communities are not left behind. The cost of inaction will far exceed the cost of prevention.”
Vis also pointed to climate change and the need to get ahead of its consequences.
“British Columbians deserve a plan that protects them, not just for today, but for the future. So, I implore the Minister of Infrastructure to act on the request from Abbotsford and other vulnerable communities. We must prioritize investment and flood protection to safeguard our food supply and national supply chains.”
Last summer, the federal government rejected applications from Abbotsford, Merritt and Princeton for a total of $1.7 billion from Ottawa’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF).
Meanwhile, the provincial government put up $76.7 million, a small fraction of the initial ask, to help communities carry out upgrades.
B.C.’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Kelly Greene said Wednesday night that the province learned from what happened in 2021, citing many improvements.
“We have funding to improve the resiliency of the Barrowtown Pump Station. That work has started but is not complete. However, the City of Abbotsford has work staff there 24/7 right now, and they are supplemented by BC Hydro crews. We’re definitely having lessons learned there. We also have a lot stronger communication and coordination between the B.C. government and communities, including Washington state, so we’re better poised to respond quickly as the situation changes. We have new monitoring stations installed on both sides of the border, as well as cameras installed on the Canadian side.”
Just weeks ago, 1130 NewsRadio reported some of the changes happening in Abbotsford and how, four years later, not everything had been completed. The city said work had taken so long due to several factors, like environmental permitting, multi-agency construction timeframes, a lengthy approval process to get projects greenlit and the cost of everything.
The city says, over the past year, crews have completed the Cole Road Dike, stabilized the Sumas River bank, and made permanent repairs to the North Parallel Road Dike.
“We’ve also completed the final landslide repairs at the remaining sites across the community, including Old Yale Road (Majuba Hill), Auguston Sewer Access Road, Ivy Court, Cariboo Court and Latimer Road, with the last remaining site at Ash Street expected to be completed by the end of this month. In addition, the City has completed sediment and debris removal in several waterways, helping to restore flow capacity during the rainy season,” said a city statement.
In 2021, 2,100 acres of blueberry crops and 82 acres of raspberry crops were lost in the floods, while 420 acres of field crops that hadn’t been harvested were lost. Cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots, and leek farms had also been “significantly impacted.”
Roughly 1.4 million birds were impacted on chicken farms, and hundreds of thousands died.
