Coldwater River (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

Merritt Flood Recovery

Premier Eby joins B.C. mayors in fight to secure federal funding after 2021 floods

Jun 26, 2024 | 2:52 PM

MERRITT, B.C. — The premier of B.C., David Eby, has penned a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling on the Liberal government to begin ‘immediate engagement’ regarding the recent denial of Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Funding (DMAF) for the communities of Merritt, Princeton and Abbotsford.

“Canada has a history of funding essential large-scale disaster risk reduction projects directly with communities through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF),” reads the letter from Eby. “Many small communities do not otherwise have the resources to complete these large-scale projects on their own.”

“To safeguard British Columbians from the ongoing threat of future catastrophic flooding, we need immediate engagement from Canada on the recent DMAF denials for Abbotsford, Merritt and Princeton to address this funding gap. We also seek federal engagement at existing tables with B.C., Washington State, First Nations, and local government that are working on this important issue,” continued the letter.

In rejecting the Merritt application for DMAF dike funding, the Federal government stated in an emailed response to CFJC Today that the project did not meet merit.

“The application did not demonstrate how their projects would sufficiently mitigate the flood risk. We had to prioritize funding projects that would help their communities prevent/mitigate climate-related impacts,” stated Micaal Ahmed, Communications Manager, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.

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Mayor Mike Goetz has stated he plans to head to Ottawa in the fall to plead his case in front of the House of Commons and will use the latest letter from Eby to assist his case.

In addition to the work needed on Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation, the premier also addressed Metro Vancouver Wastewater Treatment, Renewable Diesel, Hydrogen, the North Coast Transmission Line, and the Fraser River Tunnel as key priorities for the province.

“To achieve progressive outcomes that will ensure a prosperous future for all Canadians in British Columbia, we need equal partnership, better collaboration, and ongoing engagement in these priority areas,” concluded Eby.