JANUARY 24, 2012
Canada and British Columbia Partner to Deliver on Flood Mitigation Priority

MISSION, B.C. – The City of Mission has received $2,693,000 for the Hatzic Pump Station construction project in the Dewdney Area. Mission is now better prepared for flood emergencies thanks to a joint investment by the Governments of Canada and British Columbia.

The announcement made today is aimed at helping Mission meet its pressing infrastructure needs, protecting families and communities’ critical infrastructure, and supporting continued economic growth.

"Our Government is providing necessary support for the safety and security of the region," said Randy Kamp, MP for Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission. "I am proud of the investment made by our Government and pleased that it will help protect our community from flooding while creating jobs and opportunities for economic growth in this region."

"This new pump station is vital to minimizing the risk of flooding on the 312 farms in the Hatzic/Dewdney region,” said Abbotsford-Mission MLA Randy Hawes. “This means we can mitigate the financial impact of flooding, and reduce the strain it puts on the hundreds of families in the area.”

Funding for 22 flood mitigation projects in 20 communities was announced on January 24, 2012 by the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, and the Honourable Shirley Bond, B.C. Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General. This funding 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 stormwater diversion in Summerland, to upgrading the Maple Pump Station in Surrey. Flood protection projects were selected based on local government or dike authority applications that offered cost-effective solutions for areas at risk.

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.

In 2008, the federal government allocated $136 million to the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund, 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 will assist 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, the 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.creatingjobs.gc.ca.

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