Some of the money is available to improve protection, not just to repair dikes and other infrastructure.
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Ottawa is providing an advance payment of $870 million to BC to support disaster response and recovery from last year’s catastrophic floods and wildfires, and to build climate resilience.
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Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair made the announcement Monday at the University of British Columbia following the fifth and final meeting of a joint committee of British Columbia and federal ministers on disaster response and climate resilience.
“The partnerships that have been built and exist now, and the funds that we are providing, are going to make a significant difference in strengthening our communities tomorrow and in the future,” said Blair, who was co-chair of the committee.
The committee, which includes First Nations representatives, was created late last year after deadly floods and wildfires destroyed homes, bridges and roads and prompted the evacuation of 46,000 people.
BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, the committee’s other co-chair, said the funds will be used to rebuild damaged public and private infrastructure, including roads and flood works on townships and provincial highways.
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When asked to name specific projects that were a priority, neither Blair nor Farnworth named one.
Both levels of government have promised to build back better after the disaster to increase protection against floods and wildfires.
The $870 million, a portion of the $5 billion in support pledged by Ottawa, is under the Disaster Financial Assistance Agreements program. The program allows 15 percent of the funds to be used to build resiliency beyond what existed.
Blair told Postmedia that the 15 percent allocation to build back better was never requested, but if infrastructure is being rebuilt, it makes sense to improve its ability to handle worse floods and wildfires.
When asked to provide an example of a better rebuild, Farnworth pointed to the Coquihalla Highway, where portions of the highway and bridges were washed away. He said bridges and culverts need to be rebuilt so they can handle more water.
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Scientists expect climate change to cause more frequent and severe flooding and wildfires.
While funding is provided for the 2021 flood and wildfire response and recovery, it is unclear how future projects to increase disaster protection will be funded, or how much will be available.
Blair said he hopes the relationships and collaboration built through the committee will continue.
“It really requires us to start thinking about making smarter investments in community resilience and not just every year or every few years going back and spending an increasingly difficult and challenging amount of money to keep rebuilding these things,” Blair said. In an interview.
That could result in tough decisions about getting people out of some floodplains, for example, he said.
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Blair will also meet with First Nations and municipal leaders this week in BC to discuss recovery and building climate resilience.
A recent Postmedia investigative series found that government efforts have not been enough to adequately protect communities from an expected increase in floods and wildfires caused by climate change.
Jason Lum, president of the Fraser Valley Regional District, met with Blair on Monday with other city leaders.
He said that local governments will wait to see how the $870 million will be spent now that it is in the hands of the province, how much will go to provincial priorities and how much will go to the local level.
Lum said city leaders are concerned that existing rules won’t allow building back better to the extent needed.
“Minister Blair and the provincial ministers have listened to those concerns,” said Lum, who co-hosted a recent forum with Sto:lō Nation chairman Tyrone McNeil, who hopes to create a regional flood protection strategy in lower of the Fraser River.
