A commitment to protect homes and road access around McDougall Creek is now complete, providing peace of mind as flood season approaches.

“Last year I promised West Kelowna residents that we would find a cost-effective, long-term flood protection solution for McDougall Creek,” said Premier Christy Clark, MLA for Westside-Kelowna. “This is a promise made, a promise kept and it happened because we all worked together to do the right thing.”

The $585,000 project was primarily funded through B.C.’s Flood Protection Program (FPP), with the provincial portion covering up to two-thirds of the work, $340,000. The remaining one-third was paid for by the District of West Kelowna. It also includes a claim for $75,000 through the provincial Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program for removing debris and temporary emergency works from McDougall Creek to restore the creek to its pre-disaster condition. The work that has now been done will protect homeowners and road access, and will also help prevent the localized flood threat from extending upstream.

McDougall Creek is an area with high hazard flood potential that has experienced several recent adverse flooding events. These events have impacted residents and the local government and resulted in private property losses and increased emergency management costs for the Province.

“Residents in West Kelowna are grateful for the work that has been done through this provincial-municipal partnership,” said West Kelowna mayor Doug Findlater. “It is a relief that we are going into spring freshet having addressed this ongoing issue. With help from Premier and MLA Christy Clark and the B.C. government, we’ve been able to protect both our community and the creek habitat.”

Quick Facts:

• The FPP was established in 2007. The Province has committed $100 million over 10 years to address community flood threats throughout B.C.
• In partnerships with other governments through the FPP program, over $127 million has already been committed for 138 flood protection projects throughout the province since 2007.

Learn More:

For more information on flooding, visit: www.embc.gov.bc.ca/em/floods/index.html

Media Contacts:

Sam Oliphant
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
250 952-7252