Canada: Federal support for 20 British Columbia flood mitigation projects

Flooding is Canada’s costliest and most frequent natural disaster. Communities are looking for solutions to mitigate the costs and damages caused by flooding to businesses and residences.

Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, on behalf of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, along with the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the Honourable Mike Farnworth, announced more than $14.88 million in federal and provincial funding to support work on 20 projects in British Columbia under the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP). Additionally, some municipalities and non-government organizations partnered with British Columbia to provide an additional $2,390,319 in support of these projects.

Of the 20 projects announced today:

• two will provide funding for the completion of risk assessments to inform flood risks for a total of $1.04 million;
• nine will help communities identify specific impacts of a flood event on structures and people through the development of flood maps for a total of more than $6.34 million;
• five will help communities plan to mitigate against future flood events for a total of more than $1.86 million; and,
• four will fund small-scale structural and non-structural mitigation projects for a total of more than $6.03 million.

The Government of Canada cost-shares up to 50 per cent of eligible expenses for projects submitted by provinces and 75 per cent of eligible expenses for projects submitted by territories under the NDMP.

Through the recently released Emergency Management Strategy for Canada, the Government of Canada is committed to working with provincial and territorial partners to better identify, plan for and reduce the impact of weather-related emergencies and natural disasters on Canadians. 

Quotes

“Weather-related natural disasters are getting more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive. The Government of Canada is determined to build the foundation for proactive flood prevention and mitigation in partnership with provinces and territories. The projects announced today will help reduce the impacts of flooding, building safer and more resilient communities across British Columbia.”

— The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

“People throughout B.C. continue to be affected by significant flooding events and we must do what we can to help prepare and plan ahead to mitigate risk. It’s critical for public safety that we work in partnership with all levels of government to support those people who need it, and help impacted communities become as resilient as possible in the face of natural disasters.”

— The Honourable Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General

Quick facts

• The NDMP reflects an investment of $200 million over five years, of which $183 million is available for cost-shared, merit-based projects with provinces and territories to reduce the impacts of natural disasters. 

• Since the launch of the NDMP in 2015, the NDMP has approved funding for 363 projects across Canada that are helping to build safer, more resilient communities.

• 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 flood events.

• 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 when structural and non-structural investments are implemented in concert, the result is 6:1 return on investment.