Flood Mitigation Initiatives Identified For Priority Federal Funding

May 13, 2008

Randy Kamp joined MP Ed Fast (Abbotsford), Regional Minister Chuck Strahl and Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a flood mitigation funding announcement last year in Mission

Maple Ridge - In May of last year, local MP Randy Kamp hosted Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Mission, where he surveyed the flood threat and announced $16.5 million in emergency flood protection funding to protect communities along the Fraser River. At that time, the Prime Minister indicated that a long term, multi-year solution for flood mitigation funding was being sought with the Province of British Columbia. After a year of working hard to make it happen, the Government of Canada announced Friday that it will set aside dedicated funding for flood mitigation in British Columbia as a priority under Building Canada, the Government of Canada's new long-term infrastructure plan.

The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, made the announcement with the Honourable John van Dongen, British Columbia Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

"The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring the safety of Canadians and their communities, and we are pleased to support the important measures British Columbia is taking to protect against flooding in the Lower Mainland," said Minister Day. "As part of Building Canada, we are investing in infrastructure priorities to increase community safety, help our growing
economy, and protect our environment."

"A great deal of flood protection work has happened throughout the province since last Fall," said British Columbia Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General John van Dongen. "This financial commitment from Ottawa will help us get more of these important mitigation projects underway in a greater number of communities."

Flood mitigation initiatives will help communities address existing flood concerns and take proactive steps toward preventing flooding emergencies.
Under Building Canada, infrastructure investments for disaster mitigation will be directed toward initiatives that reduce the vulnerability of a community or public infrastructure to the negative impacts of extreme natural events. Federal financial support of $60 million for flood mitigation initiatives in British Columbia is conditional upon the initiatives meeting all applicable federal eligibility requirements under Building Canada.

Through its unprecedented $33-billion Building Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada provides long-term, stable and predictable funding to help meet infrastructure needs across Canada. Building Canada supports a stronger, safer and better country. Under Building Canada, more than $2.7 billion has been earmarked for public infrastructure projects in the province of British Columbia from 2007 to 2014.

"I've been pushing for this long term flood mitigation funding for over a year now, and I couldn't be happier to see all of that hard work pay off,"
said Kamp. "This is just another example of the Government of Canada delivering results for the communities of Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission."

For further information on the Building Canada plan, visit www.buildingcanada.gc.ca