Ottawa doles out $152M to B.C. for 2017 and 2018 floods recovery

The B.C. government is receiving two interim payments totalling $152,696,125 from the federal government to help with recovery costs from the 2017 and 2018 spring floods in the Cariboo and Okanagan regions.

Bill Blair, federal minister of emergency preparedness, announced the contribution from the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program yesterday.

“As the effects of climate change increase the frequency of natural disasters like flooding, we are committed to supporting Canadians, and keeping them safe,” Blair said in the statement. “This payment will support the province of British Columbia with their rebuilding efforts, as we work together to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Prioritizing our resiliency towards recurring natural disasters will help strengthen our adaptability and our ability to better recover.”

Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s minister of emergency management and climate readiness, said in the release the 2017 and 2018 floods caused widespread damage to homes and public infrastructure, impacting thousands of people.

“…our province acted swiftly to support people in need and since then we’ve continued to enhance our resilience to the impacts of climate change. We’re grateful to the federal government for this funding, which helps alleviate the extraordinary costs to respond to and recover from these large-scale emergency events,” Ma said.

Last year, Blair appointed an external advisory panel to review the DFAA program. Their report, published this week, made several recommendations to improve climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction.