What the B.C. government promised in disaster mitigation funding

The British Columbia government announced Thursday it’s investing $405 million over four years to better prepare the province for disaster mitigation and climate emergencies.  

The budget includes a breakdown for how government will respond to specific disasters and evacuation. 

“From record flooding in 2021, to unprecedented drought and wildfire in 2023, B.C. has experienced first-hand the impacts of climate change,” the budget reads.  

When it comes to wildfires, the province has allocated $154 million in operating and $21 million in capital funding to support additional wildfire response and recovery.  

Of that, $56 million will go toward helicopter and air tanker services; $60 million for the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. to continue wildfire risk reduction and fuel management; $38 million toward year-round resourcing of fire crew leaders and front-line staff; and $21 million for a new Prince George equipment depot. 

To address flood risk and drought, the budget allocates $234 million for priority infrastructure projects and programs, “to decrease flood risks and strengthen drought resiliency.” 

Of that figure, $83 million will be allocated for farmers and ranchers to collect and store water for agriculture and irrigation, and $50 million will go toward water metering pilot programs to better conserve water and identify leaks.  

Further, $77 million will be used to upgrade the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford; $14 million to replace the 50-year-old Cowichan Lake weir; and $10 million to increase the water storage capacity of Saint Mary Lake on Salt Spring Island by raising the dam height. 

The government also allocated $18 million to support evacuees during catastrophes. B.C. said the money will go toward improving coordination of alerts to residents facing imminent threats, and better support for evacuees. 

As far as the industry goes, said Aaron Sutherland, vice president, Western and Pacific at Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), coverage for wildfire is “widely available and included in standard home insurance policies.” 

Yet, “financial protection for flood remains unavailable for many British Columbians living in areas of highest risk,” he said in a statement.  

“That is why IBC has been calling on the federal government to urgently move forward with the National Flood Insurance Program to help ensure all Canadians have access to affordable flood insurance to mitigate the financial risk they face from flood events.” 

IBC has previously urged the federal government to make progress on the program, which IBC says has “stalled” since funding for it was first announced.  

The McDougall Creek wildfire burns on the mountainside above a lakefront home, in West Kelowna, B.C., on Friday, August 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck