Province strengthens local evacuation routes, public notification planning

Press Release

July 24, 2025

VICTORIA – The Province is funding local community projects throughout B.C. to improve planning for evacuation routes and public notifications to keep people safe and informed when emergencies occur.

“It’s vital that communities have clear evacuation routes and dependable notification systems to keep people safe in the event of an emergency,” said Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “These projects will improve the information available to communities, residents and first responders so they can act quickly and protect people when the need arises.”

Government is providing nearly $2 million, through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), to local governments and First Nations. This funding will support 51 communities to develop and update their plans through 42 public notification and evacuation route planning projects. Projects include mapping routes, improving evacuation and public notification plans, and running training exercises to test plans before an emergency occurs.

In 2023, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) received $29,940 through this fund to update local evacuation route plans and raise awareness about Alertable, the regional district’s emergency alert system. Local public notification systems, such as Alertable, used by local governments or First Nations, are another way for residents to receive the information they need during an emergency. Growing awareness has led more residents to download the app, giving them a direct way to receive crucial emergency information from CSRD quickly and directly.

“The CSRD consists of many high-risk, rural communities with complex evacuation needs. Funding received in 2023 enabled our program to address many of those challenges,” said Cathy Semchuk, emergency program co-ordinator, Columbia Shuswap Regional District. “It also provided the ability to incorporate climate change considerations, helping to develop a robust evacuation planning process. With this year’s funding, we will further strengthen community resilience to evolving climate risks.”

This round of funding will support projects throughout B.C., including:

• enhancing hazard preparedness for people in the Cowichan Valley Regional District by developing evacuation route plans. This will incorporate map-based and area-specific information plans so people better understand risks and safe routes.
• enhancing preparedness and resilience in Tla’amin Nation through updated evacuation route plans. This project will involve working with BC Ferries, RCMP, Powell River Fire Rescue, and Powell River Search and Rescue to map the best routes by road, water, air and walking. It will also catalogue transport resources and determine the scope and availability of early warning systems so people can evacuate safely and quickly.
• updating evacuation routes and notification plans in Merritt based on community feedback from its experiences with flooding in 2021. This includes community engagement sessions, mapping and workshops for residents to better understand safe evacuation routes and how people will be notified.

The CEPF provides funding to boost community readiness for various natural hazards and climate-driven emergencies. This fund is administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

Quotes:

Hegus John Hackett, Tla’amin First Nation –

“As a fly-in, ferry-out community, we are used to taking care of ourselves when times get tough. This funding will help us to collaborate with local agencies so that we are efficient in times of emergency. These are plans we hope we’ll never need, but are essential to have.”

Kate Segall, chair, board of directors, Cowichan Valley Regional District –

“Through this funding, we will develop evacuation route plans for our region. These new plans will assist our Regional Emergency Operations Centre to make more informed decisions during emergencies, including supporting our dedicated response agencies like fire departments and RCMP.”

Adam Hart, emergency management co-ordinator, City of Merritt –

“This funding will support the City of Merritt develop a more detailed, inclusive and systematized evacuation plan that integrates lessons learned from the 2021 Coldwater River flood and subsequent evacuation of Merritt. Improving evacuation planning is one of several emergency planning and public education projects currently being undertaken by the City of Merritt. We are grateful for the support for this work provided by both the ministry and UBCM.”

Trish Mandewo, president, Union of British Columbia Municipalities –

“The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund continues to deliver critical support to communities working to safeguard residents during emergencies. This funding strengthens local capacity to plan and communicate effectively in high-stress situations, ensuring that people have the information they need to stay safe. UBCM is glad to administer this program on behalf of the Province and support communities across B.C. to enhance emergency readiness.”

Learn More:

For information about the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, visit: https://www.ubcm.ca/cepf

For information about disaster- and climate-risk reduction, visit ClimateReadyBC: https://www.ClimateReadyBC.ca

For information on how to prepare for emergencies, visit: https://PreparedBC.ca

Two backgrounders follow.

Contact:
Ministry of Emergency Management
and Climate Readiness
Media Relations
250 880-6430

BACKGROUNDER 1

Facts about the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund

• Since its launch in 2017, the Province has invested $369 million in the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF).
• Including this intake, the CEPF has supported approximately 2,600 projects.
• Since 2017, the Province has provided more than $6 million to support 183 projects through the public notification and evacuation route planning stream.
• Other streams of funding in the CEPF include:
  • volunteer and composite fire departments equipment and training;
  • emergency support services equipment and training;
  • emergency operations centre equipment and training; and
  • Indigenous cultural safety and cultural humility training.
• CEPF projects support the implementation of the Emergency and Disaster Management Act by enhancing community preparedness efforts.

Note: Composite fire departments are those that have a mix of paid staff and volunteers.

Contact:
Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Media Relations
250 880-6430

BACKGROUNDER 2

Public notification, evacuation route planning funding recipients

The public notification and evacuation route planning funding stream of the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) supports projects that develop or update evacuation route plans and/or public notification plans. This funding is provided by the Province and is administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

Local governments and First Nations throughout B.C. will receive nearly $2 million from the public notification and evacuation route planning (PNERP) funding stream as follows:

Alert Bay – Review hazard and vulnerability assessment, develop evacuation route plan and develop a public information process.
Amount: $46,844
Sub-applicant: ‘Na̲mg̲is First Nation

Capital Regional District – Review and update evacuation planning guides and develop evacuation maps for Salt Spring Island, Southern Gulf Islands, Pacheedaht First Nation and Juan de Fuca.
Amount: $40,000

Central Coast Regional District – Develop a comprehensive emergency and disaster communications plan, conduct a gap analysis, identify multi-channel notification tools and provide staff training to enhance public alerting and responder co-ordination.
Amount: $40,000

Coldstream – Develop evacuation route and public notification plans for people, livestock and movement of property to a safe location.
Amount: $40,000

Columbia Shuswap Regional District – Update the Salmon Arm evacuation route plan within the Shuswap Emergency Program and enhance evacuation guidance for high-risk communities.
Amount: $39,816
Sub-applicant: Salmon Arm

Cook’s Ferry Indian Band – Develop evacuation route and notification plans, identifying routes and transport modes and outlining emergency alert strategies.
Amount: $40,000

Cowichan Valley Regional District – Develop evacuation route plans to address high-risk communities.
Amount: $160,000
Sub-applicants: Duncan; North Cowichan; Ladysmith

Delta – Create a public notification strategy, establish multi-channel alerts, partner with neighbouring First Nations and run a readiness exercise.
Amount: $40,000

Dzawada’enuxw First Nation – Create comprehensive evacuation route and public notification plans for Kingcome Inlet, including route mapping, multi-modal evacuation strategies, stakeholder co-ordination and community education.
Amount: $40,000

Fort St. James – Update the evacuation route plan, assess routes for alternative highway access and develop a multi-channel public notification plan integrated with an emergency alert system.
Amount: $40,000

Fraser Valley Regional District – New evacuation route plan for Boston Bar Electoral Area A.
Amount: $40,000

Gitxaala Nation – Ladm gyina sguuyu Gyinasguu sumsxsit Leave Something Good Behind: Update evacuation route and public notification plans using technologies and cultural knowledge, including identifying a new route to higher ground and planning for air and water evacuations.
Amount: $40,000

Granisle – Update evacuation route and public notification plans by mapping routes and transport options, integrating early warning tools, engaging the community and testing the plan with a tabletop exercise.
Amount: $40,000

Huu-ay-aht First Nations – Develop a clear evacuation route plan including identifying, mapping and capacity of available routes for residents and visitors.
Amount: $36,193

Kimberley – Develop an evacuation route plan, outlining route capacity, timelines, control points and best practices.
Amount: $40,000

Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans.
Amount: $40,000

Kootenay-Boundary Regional District – Develop water-based evacuation route plans for boat-only residents on Christina Lake using best practices from the 2023 North Shuswap evacuations.
Amount: $40,000

Lake Country – Align the municipal evacuation route and notification plan with the regional plan by collaborating with neighbours and Indigenous partners and adding geographic information system (GIS) mapping support.
Amount: $40,000

Langley Township – Update evacuation route plan, integrating BC Alerting technology, and update the public notification plan and tabletop exercises.
Amount: $40,000

Lheidli-T’enneh First Nation – Develop and implement a new evacuation route plan, including community consultations.
Amount: $29,320

Lions Bay – Develop a comprehensive new evacuation route plan, targeted public notification plan, community education, and evacuation drills.
Amount: $40,000

McLeod Lake Indian Band – Update evacuation route plan and evacuation communications strategy.
Amount: $35,000

Merritt – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans based on lived experiences of residents.
Amount: $40,000

Metchosin – Develop a public notification plan that integrates the Earthquake Early Warning system, multi-channel alerts, stakeholder co-ordination and exercise testing.
Amount: $40,000

Nelson – Update evacuation route and public notification plans, including GIS mapping enhancements and a multi-agency tabletop exercise.
Amount: $40,000

North Okanagan Regional District – Update the evacuation route plan and the public notification plan for Electoral Areas B and C to reflect growth and integrate Indigenous and neighbouring communities with consistent messaging.
Amount: $40,000

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality – Develop a crisis communication plan with staff training resources, mapping and communications.
Amount: $31,900

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen – Update evacuation route and public notification plans with improved GIS mapping, updated hazard data and stakeholder engagement to ensure plans meet community evacuation needs.
Amount: $160,000
Sub-applicants: Osoyoos; Keremeos; Summerland

Peace River Regional District – Develop new evacuation route plan and update the public notification plan.
Amount: $40,000

Pemberton – Update the Pemberton Valley evacuation route plan with current census data and expand its scope to include social and broader emergency management factors.
Amount: $41,000
Sub-applicant: Squamish-Lillooet Regional District

Penticton – Create a public notification and communications plan with workshops and a tabletop exercise, and update the evacuation route plan with mapping, traffic data and alternative transport options.
Amount: $40,000

Port McNeill – Create new evacuation route and public notification plans for low-lying, sea-level-rise and tsunami-vulnerable areas, including detailed route mapping, regional connectivity and stakeholder engagement.
Amount: $38,400

Pouce Coupe – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans, mapping safe corridors and co-ordinating alert strategies with community partners.
Amount: $39,750

qathet Regional District – Updating evacuation route plans and the community’s public notification plan.
Amount: $40,000

shíshálh Nation – Update the evacuation route plan, including running a tabletop exercise with Chief, council and administration.
Amount: $40,000

Sts’ailes – Develop a new evacuation route master plan.
Amount: $40,000

Tla’amin Nation – Update the evacuation route plan, which includes identification and capacity of available routes, collaboration, modes of transportation and methods of evacuation.
Amount: $36,000

Tsawwassen First Nation – Develop new evacuation route and public notification plans, collaborating with neighbouring jurisdictions and revising relevant local plans and policies.
Amount: $40,000

Tseshaht First Nation – Develop a new public notification and evacuation route plan tailored to Tseshaht First Nation’s evacuation needs, cultural context, infrastructure and communication preferences.
Amount: $40,000

Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) – Develop a new evacuation route plan with mapping, workshops and resources, engaging with community knowledge keeper and across TWN departments.
Amount: $40,000

West Kelowna – Developing a new evacuation route plan by evaluating the evacuation capacity of the Glenrosa area, includes reviewing alternate roads and exit routes to ensure residents can leave quickly and safely.
Amount: $39,620

Witset First Nation – Update the evacuation route and public notification plans to ensure timely evacuations and clear information sharing during emergencies.
Amount: $40,000

Contact:
Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Media Relations
250 880-6430

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