Question Period Note: Flooding

Flooding

• The Government of Canada is committed to working with provincial and territorial partners to support emergency-management activities, including for flooding, and to protect Canadians and their property.

• The Government of Canada monitors water levels and flows and provides information to provinces and territories to support water-management decisions and response to flooding. The Government also shares information with agencies from the United States and with the International Joint Commission.

• In 2018, the Government invested $89.7 million over five years to strengthen resilience and support emergency preparedness, including providing water data and information to federal, provincial, and territorial agencies to allow more lead time to take action and mitigate the impacts of water-related disasters. In 2019, the Government of Canada invested an additional $6.5 million over five years to respond to flooding threats, including using early-warning systems and enhancing the understanding and best practices to characterize flood risk.

• Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Meteorological Service of Canada provides water and weather information and works in collaboration with provincial and territorial partners to provide water level and flow data, including real-time water level data to support provincial and territorial water management and flood response measures. Multiple levels of government have key roles and responsibilities with respect to water levels and water flows in Canada.

• The provinces and territories have the primary responsibility for most areas of water management and protection, while municipalities and local agencies typically provide drinking water and wastewater services. The federal government is responsible for domestic and international transboundary water management. Environment and Climate Change Canada collaborates with all relevant parties to support the integrated planning and management of freshwater resources under its purview.

• Environment and Climate Change Canada, through Canada’s National Hydrological Service, tracks water levels and water flows and provides data and information to those who need it to make important planning decisions. We continue to encourage local and regional governments to prepare for a full range of water levels in all planning, design and permitting actions.

• Through the National Hydrological Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada has established Ministerial Hydrometric Agreements with provinces and territories to manage Canada’s water monitoring network. Environment and Climate Change Canada also has agreements with provinces under the Canada Water Act to support domestic transboundary water management through water boards. Given its international transboundary water management responsibilities, Environment and Climate Change Canada has established an agreement with the International Joint Commission in support of fulfilling the departmental mandate.

• Financial assistance for homeowners following extreme events such as flooding falls under the mandate of Public Safety Canada, which administers eligibility for federal funding under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) and is only available by provincial request.

• The Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation, located in Natural Resources Canada, is the Government of Canada's centre of excellence for remote sensing. CCMEO provides the access, transformation and dissemination of satellite image data and products to government and public users. Within Natural Resources Canada, satellite imagery is used to characterize, monitor and map Canada’s landmass and water resources primarily in support of the responsible development of natural resources.

Question Period notes as provided by the Department to the Minister’s Office