(Vancouver) The federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness announced Monday that Ottawa is providing $870 million to British Columbia to support recovery efforts after destructive flooding last fall.
Posted at 5:33 p.m.
Bill Blair said Monday that the envelope was the first installment of a commitment Ottawa made in the aftermath of the bad weather, and that other actions will follow.
He points out that the money is distributed through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, a federal program.
British Columbia requested about $5 billion under this program. Provincial Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said accessing the money can take time, which makes this $870 million advance payment important for British Columbia.
Farnworth says much of that money will go towards rebuilding infrastructure damaged when record rainfall hit British Columbia in November. This rainfall caused widespread flooding and landslides that washed away several sections of roads.
Blair announced the funding at a press conference following the fifth and final meeting of the BC Ministers and Federal Government Committee on Disaster Response and Climate Resilience. This federal-provincial committee was set up last December.
The $870 million is in addition to the $200 million in federal funding announced in June to support recovery efforts after the severe forest fires that also hit British Columbia last summer, said Minister Blair.
“Climate change threatens communities across Canada, and we must maintain the strength of our partnerships as we prepare for and work to prevent natural disasters and extreme weather events,” said Monday the Minister Blair in a statement.