Government of Canada contributes to resilient communities in British Columbia

Press Release

News release

November 16, 2018
Vancouver, British Columbia

Public Safety Canada

Flooding is Canada’s costliest and most frequent natural disaster. Today, Joyce Murray, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra, and Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness British Columbia, announced more than $16.5 million in federal and provincial funding to support work on 32 projects under the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP). Additionally, some municipalities and non-government organizations partnered with British Columbia to provide an additional $2.16 million.

Through the NDMP, the Government of Canada is helping to address rising flood risks and costs, and build the foundation for informed investments that could reduce, or even negate, the effects of flooding. Funding is available for risk assessments, flood mapping, mitigation planning and small-scale mitigation projects such as storm culverts.

Of the 32 projects announced today:

14 will provide funding for the completion of risk assessments to inform flood risks for a total of $2.31 million;
five will help communities identify specific impacts of a flood event on structures and people through the development of flood maps for a total of $1.89 million;
two will help communities plan to mitigate against future flooding events for a total of $583,100; and,
11 will fund small-scale structural mitigation projects for a total of $13.89 million.

Quotes

“Weather-related natural disasters are getting more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive, threatening the safety of our communities and our economy. Through the National Disaster Mitigation Program, the Government of Canada is protecting the neighbourhood surrounding Vancouver’s Locarno Beach from flooding. Today’s investment will help protect homes, property and infrastructure in Vancouver from the widespread damage caused by flooding, increasing our resiliency to climate change.”

– Joyce Murray, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra, on behalf of the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

“After two straight years of severe summer wildfires and significant spring flooding, the importance of disaster mitigation and emergency preparedness has never been so clear. This program and partnership with the federal government will help make our cities, towns and villages more resilient in the face of disasters that are increasing in both frequency and severity. Individuals, families, all levels of government – we all need to work together to build a safer British Columbia for generations to come.”

– Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness British Columbia

Quick facts

Since the launch of the NDMP in 2015, the NDMP has approved funding for 273 projects across Canada that are helping to build safer, more resilient communities.
In addition to investing in provincial and territorial flood mitigation projects through the NDMP, the Government of Canada:
- is investing in public awareness activities and risk and resiliency tools like the Federal Flood Mapping Guidelines, to help all levels of government to make informed decisions around flood mitigation;
- has created a new $2 billion federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund to support the infrastructure required to deal with the effects of a changing climate; and
- is integrating climate resilience into the National Building Code and conducting research to factor climate resilience into the design of buildings.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, insured damage in 2016 topped $4.9 billion – passing the previous annual record of $3.2 billion set in 2013—and that the annual economic cost of disasters around the world has increased five-fold since the 1980s. Flooding damage has accounted for 80 per cent of federal disaster assistance payments over the past 20 years.
Studies have demonstrated that there is a 6:1 return on investment when flood mitigation measures include both structural and non-structural investments.