British Columbia’s emergency management minister is calling on Ottawa to take part in talks on flood mitigation for the Fraser Valley.
Kelly Greene is in Ottawa this week for meetings with federal ministers, accompanied by Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens and Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver.
Greene said the recent flooding in the Sumas Prairie region of southwestern B.C. was a “painful echo” of the 2021 disaster and underlined the need for long-term solutions.
Heavy rain in December caused the Nooksack River in Washington state to overflow its banks and swamp farms, homes and highways on both sides of the border.
It came four years after the devastating November 2021 floods, when water from the Nooksack led to major livestock losses and forced thousands of residents from their homes.
Greene said climate change means severe flooding events are expected to occur more often.
The province, First Nations, Abbotsford and Chilliwack began round-table discussions in 2023 on reducing flood risk, but Greene said Ottawa has largely been absent from those talks, sending only a federal “observer” to one meeting.
“It’s perplexing why they’re not there,” Greene said, noting the Fraser Valley is a key travel and trade corridor from the B.C. coast and a major agricultural region.
Greene said federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski is also expected to visit B.C. to discuss flood mitigation.
“We’re here with the common interest that we’re looking at now, which is public safety and food security,” said Silver.
The latest federal budget included $6 billion in funding for regional projects, including flood protection, but Greene said it’s too early to estimate how much will be needed for mitigation and that the Sumas area should be prioritized.
The province said it has provided about $220 million in recovery, preparedness and mitigation funding for Abbotsford and Sumas Prairie since 2021.
The B.C. delegation was scheduled to meet with Olszewski and Housing Minister Gregor Robertson in Ottawa.
Siemens said he also hopes to discuss further trans-boundary collaboration with Washington state.
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