Two Vancouver Island communities have been approved to receive a portion of government emergency preparedness funding that will be allocated towards flood-mitigation projects.
The approximately $1.2 million being allocated to Island communities is a portion of $8.5 million being spent provincewide on emergency preparedness.
“This funding will support structural flood mitigation projects, improving their ability to be resilient and prepared in an emergency,” says the Province in a statement.
The K’omoks First Nation has been approved to receive $472,000 for a project to protect against erosion impacting the community, and Zeballos will receive $750,000 for debris flow and flood hazard mitigation.
The funding for the flood-mitigation projects is coming through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), which has provided more than $60 million to B.C. communities since 2017, according to the government.
“This program illustrates collaboration at its best,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “The benefit of a funding program like this one is that it directly responds to the needs communities identify as important to mitigating flood risk. Through this program, we can better work with local and regional governments to protect public safety through important local projects.”
Ronna-Rae Leonard, MLA for Courtenay-Comox, says the project being undertaken using the government funds will show how people can “work with nature” to protect valuable locations.
“This support will help make the K’omoks community more secure and our shoreline more resilient to storms, tides and erosion,” said Leonard in a statement.
Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island, says the government funds will help reduce natural risks that face the community of Zeballos.
“One of the things that locals love most about Zeballos is its spectacular natural surroundings, but those surroundings come with natural hazards. Smart investments like these will help reduce the risks from things like slides and flooding to people in town,” said Babchuk.
More information on the CEPF can be found online here.
Graham Cox
