COWICHAN VALLEY – New Democrat MLA Doug Routley says Cowichan Valley will benefit from $550,000 in new provincial funding to support recovery work. The Cowichan Valley is one of ten communities in B.C. that was severely impacted by the November 2021 floods.

“The damage to people’s home and local roads caused by last November’s floods highlighted how important it is to plan ahead for future floods,” said Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan. “This funding for planning and an early warning system for the Chemainus River floodplain will help the Cowichan Valley Regional District prepare our communities for potential flood events.

The local governments of Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Fraser Valley Regional District, Hope, Kent, Merritt, Mission, Princeton, and Thompson-Nicola Regional District are all receiving direct grants from the $53.6 million in provincial funding to assist them in meeting the additional pressures of on-going recovery and infrastructure planning.

The grant will assist the Cowichan Valley Regional District with costs related to flood planning and mapping for infrastructure, and development of an early warning system for the Chemainus River floodplain

This funding is in addition to the more than $2.1 billion Budget 2022 provides to help people recover from the floods and wildfires of last year and to better protect communities against future climate disasters. As well as the $228 million in federal-provincial funding provided to B.C. farmers who suffered extraordinary damages during the November floods.

Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/26628

For more information on Canadian Red Cross services and how to access them, call 1 800 863-6582, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Pacific time), or visit: https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/current-emergency-responses/2021-british-columbia-floods-and-extreme-weather

British Columbians can access the Disaster Financial Assistance application online: http://www.gov.bc.ca/disasterfinancialassistance