Canada, B.C. jointly invest $36 million to provide greater flood protection in B.C.

The Governments of Canada and B.C. have jointly invested $36 million to provide greater flood protection for 20 communities across B.C.
“Our government is committed to strengthening our communities and protecting Canadians,” Lynne Yelich, minister of state for Western economic diversification, said in an announcement on Jan. 24. “We know that by investing in flood mitigation measures, we are delivering on our commitment to provide greater safety for residents, as well as significant economic benefits for British Columbia.”
The money will go toward 22 flood-mitigation projects intended to help communities address existing flood concerns. Various initiatives include flood protection in the Cowichan Valley, storm water diversion in Summerland and upgrading the Maple Pump Station in Surrey. Flood protection projects were selected from local government or dike authority applications that offered cost-effective solutions for areas at risk.
Federal and provincial governments provide up to two-thirds of the funding for eligible project costs. Local governments and diking authorities cover the remainder of project funding.
Mitigation funds are intended to assist communities across B.C. by providing funding for new dikes, erosion protection, pump stations, flood boxes and other structures to better protect communities from flooding.
The federal government allocated $136 million to the communities component of the Building Canada Fund in B.C. in 2008. This money was earmarked to support local government infrastructure projects in communities with a population of less than 100,000 people.
The Provincial-Territorial Base Fund (PT Base Fund) is part of the Building Canada Plan and provides $175 million to each province and territory to address core infrastructure priorities such as water, waste water, green energy, safe roads and regional and community airports.
For more information on these funding programs, visit:
www.bcbuildingcanadafundcommunities.ca and www.infrastructure.gc.ca