The provincial government is offering a variety of front-line assistance to its neighbours as the full impact of severe flooding in Calgary and other communities in southern Alberta becomes clearer.

Specifically, the Province is in regular contact with Alberta and remains prepared to support them with response or recovery assets to support flooding operations, should further assistance be requested. Assistance provided or offered to date, includes:

• The Ministry of Health has put forward a standing offer of resources such as health-emergency-management support, health-care professionals, public-health inspectors, and potentially the mobile medical unit if required to provide health-service continuity to impacted areas. 
• Health Minister Terry Lake spoke with his counterpart in Alberta on June 25th, and the Alberta Health Minister said the Province would appreciate mental health support workers and public health resources from BC. 
• We are in the early stages of identifying mental health resources to support Alberta.
• Beginning Thursday, July 4, the regional health authorities will begin to deploy environmental health officers to Calgary, to being providing inspections on Friday. At this point, the Ministry of Health expects to send up to 20 public health inspectors from across B.C. to help Alberta assess the public health risks from the floods and take steps to help them reduce any safety concerns.  
• BC Ambulance Service is also on standby should Alberta require ambulance resources - but at this time they have not been required.
• To help ensure the mobility of first responders, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure delivered a 33.5 m long two-lane temporary bridge to Parks Canada June 23 that could be used. 
• The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is also working with its Alberta Transportation counterparts and Parks Canada to co-ordinate alternative route information so Drive BC and the Alberta Motor Association's road condition website offer consistent details. 
• With hundreds of homes reportedly semi-submerged and thousands more structures flooded, BC Housing is keeping a damage assessment team on standby and ready to assist. 
• BC Hydro has offered to help utilities in Alberta restore electricity service to the areas affected by the recent floods. BC Hydro's crews and equipment are on standby, and as soon as a request is received to send the resources, they will be dispatched immediately to the areas where they are needed most.
  

Contact:

Ministry of Justice
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-6961