COWICHAN VALLEY – BC NDP MLA Doug Routley says people in the Cowichan Valley will be safer during emergencies, with provincial funding that will better equip local governments and First Nations to reduce the risk of disasters.

“The Cowichan Tribes know best what protections are needed and how to mitigate damage to their sites and lands when facing emergency,” said Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan. “This funding will help them to protect their most important buildings and sites in case of emergencies like flooding.”

Sixty-five communities across B.C. will receive approximately $56 million for 78 projects from the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) through the Disaster Risk Reduction – Climate Adaptation stream. This funding will help communities tackle current vulnerabilities, minimize the risk of future disasters and support communities to make informed decisions in the future.

The Cowichan Tribes is receiving $150,000 in funding from the Disaster Risk Reduction – Climate Adaptation stream for mobile flood protection equipment to protect infrastructure, cultural sites, and residential buildings.

The CEPF helps communities to better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of climate-related emergencies by funding local projects and initiatives in several categories. These include disaster-risk reduction and climate adaptation, public notification and evacuation-route planning, and emergency operations centre equipment and training. The Province has invested $369 million into the CEPF since its establishment in 2017. Approximately $279 million has been provided to local governments and First Nations through the CEPF for approximately 2,100 projects. This includes approximately $176 million to support disaster-mitigation and climate-adaptation projects.