B.C. launches new $40M flood protection strategy

The B.C. Government says it is investing just under $40 million to increase community flood protection and defences.

In an announcement Thursday, the province says the new B.C. Flood Strategy will “also build flood preparedness throughout the province.”

“These projects will go a long way towards keeping people and their communities safer from disasters and extreme weather events such as flooding, drought, and extreme heat,” said Bowinn Ma, minister of emergency management and climate readiness.

“The climate crisis is here and we need communities to adapt and strengthen their defences against flooding and other extreme-weather events,” said Ma. “We are working with local governments and First Nations to reduce disaster risk and better prepare people and communities for the impacts of climate change.”

More than 50 communities will receive money from the $39 million pot for local disaster risk reduction and climate-adaptation projects, as part of the province’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF).

“To date, our government has provided approximately $214 million to First Nations and local governments for almost 1,900 projects throughout the province to mitigate and prepare for disasters and climate-related emergencies through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund alone,” Ma explained. “We are also working with our federal partners on disaster risk reduction and we look forward to sharing more in the coming months about our support for communities across the province.”

The government explained in a release that the funding will be used by local municipalities and First Nations to make changes, including small-scale structural flood projects and improvements to community flood-mitigation strategies.

The province added this will also include more accurate flood mapping.

Ma says some of the funding will be used to upgrade both the Carnegie and Kensington community centres in Vancouver. According to the province, they will be updated to operate as safe centres for vulnerable people during extreme weather. The upgrades include adding heat-pumps to provide cooling and increasing air filtration for indoor air quality.

Richmond is also set to receive funding for a dike rehabilitation project, while Langley Township will receive money for reinforcement and repairs to its East and West Munday Creek slopes after being damaged in 2021.

Nathan Cullen, minister of water, land, and resources stewardship says the new strategy is B.C.’s “first integrated vision” for flood preparedness, after years of “piecemeal” approaches to management.

“The new B.C. Flood Strategy will guide our continued work with First Nations, local government agencies, the agricultural sector, industry, and conservation organizations, as we take actions to reduce flood risk. Together, we can build stronger communities that are resilient to flood hazards in a changing climate,” Cullen said.

“Whether fires, floods, or droughts, we know people are experiencing the impacts of climate change much faster than predicted. The atmospheric river events of 2021 and other floods around British Columbia in recent years, have shown us the need for more actions to reduce the impacts of floods in our communities,” he added.

“First Nations local governments and other partners and across BC have called for more provincial action on flooding, and we have listened and we are acting.”

Listen live to CityNews 1130 to keep up to date with this developing story. You can also subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

–With files from Michael Williams