As part of the Province’s investment of over $80 million in emergency preparedness and public safety, MLA for Fraser-Nicola Jackie Tegart has announced support for flood prevention projects on behalf of Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness Naomi Yamamoto.

The Village of Cache Creek is receiving $150,000 for flood mitigation work involving the development of flood risk assessments, floodplain maps and flood mitigation plans in the region.

And as part of $2.13 million provided to the Fraser Basin Council (FBC), $1 million will support the FBC in conducting an inventory and engineering assessment of all orphan or unmanaged dikes in British Columbia. This assessment will evaluate the structural conditions of the dikes and determine the cost to upgrade the dikes to provincial standard and to acquire at-risk properties. Another important goal of this project is to assess flood risks local communities face from these unmanaged structures.

This is all a part of a broader set of more than $80 million invested in emergency preparedness and mitigation. Some of these investments, which will have positive benefits throughout the province, include:

• $32 million to the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund to be administered by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities that will include items like $3 million for flood risk assessments, floodplain maps and flood mitigation plans, $20 million to fund flood mitigation projects, and $4.2 million emergency social services.
• $5.5 million for the BC Search and Rescue Association for essential supports to search and rescue (SAR) volunteers, the SAR prevention program AdventureSmart, the acquisition, maintenance and upgrading of rescue equipment, and deployable communication systems to assist in communication in B.C.’s backcountry.
• $500,000 to Avalanche Canada to support public education and avalanche alert throughout B.C.
• $100,000 to PEP Air to support capital purchases and recognize the effort of the volunteer air search and rescue teams throughout the province.

Quotes:

MLA for Fraser-Nicola Jackie Tegart –

“Small communities have just as much of a responsibility to ensure that their citizens are safe as large ones, but they don’t always have the capacity to do the work. This $150,000 of support for flood plain mapping will provide the Village of Cache Creek with much-needed capacity to ensure that we can keep our citizens safe.”

Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness Naomi Yamamoto –

“The over $80 million in investments in community emergency preparedness will help us better withstand floods, fires, or earthquakes that could impact our province. Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility that begins in every home, in every business and across all levels of government. This funding is another of many provincial investments and initiatives to help keep British Columbians safe.”

Insurance Bureau of Canada, vice-president, Western & Pacific Bill Adams –

“Disasters can have lasting physical and financial impacts on Canadian communities. That is why the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and Canada’s property and casualty insurers are committed to working with all levels of government to help make our country safer, stronger, and more resilient. IBC applauds this important funding announcement which will help municipalities across British Columbia better prepare for disasters. As a partner in emergency preparedness, IBC will continue to work with all stakeholders to make our cities and towns more resilient in the face of increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters.”

Quick Fact:

• Over $60 million in flood mitigation investments in a number of communities is represented in the March 15 announcement of over $80 million in emergency preparedness. Since 2008, the Province has committed $182.7 million toward flood mitigation projects in over 200 communities in B.C.

Learn More:

March 15 announcement of over $80 million in emergency preparedness: http://ow.ly/HLN4309YrGO

BC Government flood prevention and planning: http://ow.ly/HeWh3007cDc

PreparedBC provides resources on how to build and emergency kit and how to prepare your family and community for emergencies: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/preparedbc

Follow on Twitter: @EmergencyInfoBC and @PreparedBC