B.C. funding to prepare for climate disasters a 'great' start: Merritt mayor

Mayor Mike Goetz hopes Victoria's spending will help push Ottawa into providing big bucks

City of Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz says $2 million from the province to help strengthen dikes at its wastewater plant is a great way to get started on their larger $165 million flood protection needs.

The B.C. Interior community was among dozens of local governments and First Nations that recently received a total of $23.4 million from the province for projects to adapt and prepare for climate-related disasters.

Merritt’s wastewater plant was overwhelmed by flooding in November 2021 that hit southwest B.C. and parts of the Interior. The deadly flooding washed away roads, bridges and homes and caused billions in damage. The flooding in Merritt resulted in evacuation of the entire community of 7,100. Some residents still remain displaced from their homes 14 months later.

“Some people have said, ‘Don’t you think (the provincial funding) is a drop in the bucket?’ Absolutely not. This is a great way to start,” Goetz said Sunday.

“It’s good that the community is going to finally be able to see some dirt turned on these dikes and progress being made. That’s going to go a long way to making people feel like something is happening,” said Goetz.

He added that he hoped the province’s spending to build the community’s climate resilience is a catalyst for the federal government to start thinking about contributing to strengthening flood protection in Merritt as well.

The City of Merritt hopes to tap into $1 billion recently made available from the federal government’s disaster mitigation and adaptation fund.

The city’s $165 million plan includes strengthening dikes on the Coldwater and Nicola rivers that flow through town, including moving some dikes back on the Coldwater and buying out homes close to the river. Huge sections of the community were flooded in November 2021 when the dikes on the Coldwater were breached after torrential rains carried across the Pacific Ocean from the tropics, often called atmospheric rivers.

Scientists say they expect that climate-fuelled flooding will increase in severity and frequency.

Provincial funding of $2 million was also welcomed by the City of Richmond which will use the money for modelling, continuing work on its flood protection strategy and an upgrade to one of its drainage pump stations.

The City of Richmond has 49 kilometres of dikes and is susceptible to river and ocean flooding and heavy rain.

“Recent extreme weather events have reinforced how important it is for communities to have systems and infrastructure in place to protect residents, businesses and property,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

Among other recipients of provincial funding are the Tsleil-Waututh Nation ($2 million for shoreline adaptation), the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District ($2 million for creek debris flow mitigation), and Osoyoos ($1.69 million for flood mitigation).

Tamsin Lyle, a flood management expert who has been involved in planning in B.C., said it is good to see money hitting communities at the front lines but there is a need for more “big dollars” to support building climate resilience in communities.

“But for now, this is a good way forward,” said Lyle, who heads Ebbwater Consulting.

A 2022 Postmedia investigative series found government efforts have fallen short of what is needed to properly protect communities from an expected increase in flooding and wildfires fuelled by climate change.

Dozens of B.C. communities need beefed-up flood and wildfire protections totalling at least $13 billion.

The newly created B.C. Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness noted that $100 million has been provided to communities since 2017 under its community emergency preparedness fund.

“The projects enabled by this funding will make a big difference for First Nations and communities throughout B.C. in their efforts to keep lives and livelihoods safe from potential disasters,” said Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma.

ghoekstra@postmedia.com

twitter.com/gordon_hoekstra

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