LADYSMITH – BC NDP MLAs Stephanie Higginson and Debra Toporowski say provincial funding for local evacuation planning projects means the Cowichan Valley Regional District will be better able to keep people safe and informed when emergencies occur.

“In rural and coastal communities like ours, having an evacuation route in place offers a sense of relief and peace for residents,” said Stephanie Higginson, MLA for Ladysmith – Oceanside. “Continued Community Emergency Preparedness Funding is so important to making our towns and cities more resilient to our changing climates, and I appreciate the CVRD for making this plan a priority for our community.”

The Cowichan Valley Regional District is receiving $160,000 for sub-applicants Duncan, North Cowichan, and Ladysmith to develop evacuation route plans to address high-risk communities.

“The Cowichan Valley is a beautiful place, but we have our own unique risks when it comes to extreme weather,” said Debra Toporowski, MLA for Cowichan Valley. “This funding will help ensure communities are prepared to evacuate safely if we need to do so.”

Across B.C., 51 communities are receiving approximately $2 million for 42 projects. This funding will support communities to develop and update their plans through public notification and evacuation route planning projects. Projects include mapping routes, improving evacuation and public notification plans, and running training exercises to test these plans before an emergency occurs.

Since its launch in 2017, the Province has invested $369 million in the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF). Including this intake, the CEPF has supported approximately 2,600 projects.

Since 2017, the Province has provided more than $6 million to support 183 projects through the public notification and evacuation route planning stream.

Learn more: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025EMCR0030-000710