News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

Bella Coola is among twenty communities across BC that will benefit from greater flood protection thanks to a joint investment by the governments of Canada and British Columbia.

The announcement, made today by the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, and the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, on behalf of the Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General for British Columbia, is aimed at helping communities meet their pressing infrastructure needs, protecting families and communities’ critical infrastructure, and supporting continued economic growth.

(Photo: A haul truck dumping rock into the river as part of the road rebuilding process last fall in the Bella Coola Valley.)

“Our Government is committed to strengthening our communities and protecting Canadians,” said Minister Yelich. “We know that by investing in flood mitigation measures, we are delivering on our commitment to provide greater safety for residents, as well as significant economic benefits for British Columbia.”

This joint investment of over $36 million is geared toward 22 flood mitigation projects which will help communities address existing flood concerns, and take proactive steps toward preventing flooding emergencies. The initiatives range from flood protection in the Cowichan Valley, to storm water diversion in Summerland, to upgrading the Maple Pump Station in Surrey. Flood protection projects were selected from local government or dike authority applications that offered cost-effective solutions for areas at risk.

“By working as partners, we’re proactively preventing flooding emergencies, rather than just responding to them,” said Minister Thomson. “These projects provide critical flood protection for the safety of the public and help protect the businesses and industries that provide jobs for British Columbians.”

Federal and provincial governments provide up to two-thirds of the funding for eligible project costs, with local governments and diking authorities covering the remainder of project funding. These investments are being delivered through two important programs.

“The flood mitigation funding that communities across B.C. received today is another example of our Federal and Provincial government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring communities like ours have access to the support they need,” said City of Abbotsford Mayor Bruce Banman. “Today’s funding will allow us to complete much needed upgrades to our Barrowtown Pump Station.”

In 2008, the federal government allocated $136 million to the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund in B.C. to support local government infrastructure projects in communities with a population of less than 100,000 people. Of this funding, $25 million was specifically allocated to accommodate disaster mitigation projects selected through the Provincial Flood Protection Program. Mitigation funds are assisting communities across B.C. by providing funding for new dikes, erosion protection, pump stations, flood boxes and other structures to better protect communities from flooding.

The Provincial-Territorial Base Fund (PT Base Fund) is part of the Building Canada Plan and provides $175 million to each province and territory to address core infrastructure priorities such as water, waste water, green energy, regional and community airports, and safe roads. Of this funding, $23 million was identified for the Flood Protection Program.

Since the beginning of this partnership, federal, provincial and local governments have committed to 137 projects with a combined total value of nearly $125 million to protect communities against flood hazards throughout British Columbia.

For more information on these funding programs, visit: www.bcbuildingcanadafundcommunities.ca and www.infrastructure.gc.ca

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