Local MLAs welcome $150,000 for flood preparedness in Nanaimo

NanaimoNew Democrat MLAs Sheila Malcolmson and Doug Routley are welcoming $150,000 in funding from the province to support Nanaimo in preparing for and responding to floods.

“Climate change is causing more frequent, unpredictable, and intense floods throughout B.C. It’s critically important that we take proactive actions to reduce flooding risks in our community,” said Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo. “This study will help the Nanaimo Regional District make sure our dams can withstand future flooding events.”

“In many parts of the province, severe spring floods have become the new normal,” said Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan. “It’s more important than ever for our communities to prepare for and do everything we can to prevent flooding.”

The Nanaimo Regional District is receiving $150,000 for a Jump Creek and South Fork dams inundation study.

The Nanaimo Regional District is one of twenty-two local and regional governments that are sharing over $3 million in funding from the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF).

The CEPF is a suite of programs designed to enhance the resiliency of local governments and their residents. The province provides the funding, which is administered by UBCM and divided into five streams:

  • flood risk assessment, flood mapping and flood mitigation planning
  • emergency support services
  • emergency operations centres and training
  • structural flood mitigation
  • evacuation routes

The MLAs said that since the September 2017 Budget Update, communities throughout B.C. have received more than $20 million through the CEPF, and that the New Democrat government is committed to ensuring communities across BC have the tools they need to respond to disasters when and where they happen.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/19740