Question Period Note: BC Landslides

• Our thoughts are with the families of those who have lost loved ones, and all those affected by the floods, landslides, and extreme weather conditions in British Columbia (BC), and the first responders who are working to keep them safe.
• The situation has improved with the passing of the third atmospheric river event yielding no reports of major damage, and the removal of all flood advisories. Highway and supply routes are stabilizing overall, and rail operations move closer to full capacity.
• Federal-provincial engagements, as well the response phase of the event overall, are moving into supporting recovery activities. Multiple agencies have signaled intentions to lower their response posture.
• The Federal Government is standing up a joint committee with the Government of B.C. to work together, and with Indigenous leadership, to ensure there remains dedicated support for both long and short term recovery.
• In addition, the Federal government is working, alongside Provinces and Territories and industry partners, on finding tangible and sustainable flood insurance & potential relocation solutions to help with the recovery and the protection of homeowners against flooding events, like the one currently unfolding in B.C.
• One of our partners in this initiative is the Insurance Bureau of Canada, which, I understand, has estimated the cost of this event at over $450M.
• That is why the Government of Canada is working on the flood insurance system for better protection in the future from recurring climate disasters such as this one.

Responsive lines (if prompted)
• Emergencies are managed first at the local level. If municipal and local governments need assistance at the local level, they request it from the province or territory. If the emergency overwhelms P/T capacity, the province or territory may seek assistance from the federal government.

Public Safety Canada’s number one priority is to keep Canadians safe from a range of risks such as natural disasters, including flooding. Canada is experiencing a greater number of severe weather events driven substantially by a changing climate. The Government of Canada aims to create a more resilient and sustainable approach to emergency management that will help Canada prepare for, mitigate, respond to and recover from disasters.

In light of this, the Government of Canada has committed to help Canadians reduce their financial and physical vulnerability to flooding. Mandate letters in 2019 and 2021 articulated a need for Public Safety Canada (PS) to work towards creating a new, low-cost national flood insurance program to protect homeowners at high risk of flooding and without adequate insurance protection; as well as develop a national action plan to assist homeowners with potential relocation for those at the highest risk of repeat flooding. A Task Force was stood up in January 2020, with an expected end on May 2022, and is composed of a few key structures, including three Task Teams: Federal, Provincial & Territorial, and Industry. These groups, led by a Principles committee of senior officials from the Federal government, will pool their expertise and experience to help craft a report on viable options for flood insurance in Canada; as well as potential relocation measures and options for homeowners at repeated risk of flooding. The project is well underway, and a report is expected by May 2022.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada has estimated the cost of this disaster to be over $450M.

The government of Canada is also conducting a review of the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) to update the program to better reflect the growing cost of disasters in Canada.

Beginning on November 14, 2021, an atmospheric river event delivered rainfall amounts of up to 300 mm across much of southwest British Columbia (BC), exacerbated by melting high elevation snow. The rain was accompanied by strong winds in some locations. A wide variety of impacts has affected communities across southwest and south-central BC, including widespread power outages, telecommunications issues, road closures, as well as displaced residents and damage due to flooding and debris flows.

On November 17, 2021, the province of British Columbia (BC) issued a state of emergency. A Request for Federal Assistance (RFA) was received from the province and was quickly approved by the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Bill Blair, on November 17. The RFA will remain in the province through the weekend with a reassessment early next week. On November 29, the provincial State of Emergency was extended by another two weeks, until December 14, including the measure limiting nonessential vehicles to 30 L of fuel per trip to a gas station.

In recognition of the significant, immediate challenges in the southwest and central areas of the province resulting in significant impacts on individuals, communities and critical infrastructure, the province asked for support in the form of transportation assistance, resupply, and humanitarian assistance including:

• Air support to evacuate those affected by flooding, including evacuation of vulnerable population to designated evacuation points;

• Air support to critical supply routes that have been disrupted by the floods;

• Assistance to vulnerable, stranded, or in-distress people affected by the floods;

• Personnel to perform tasks to mitigate the effects of floods, including the protection of critical infrastructure, access roads, and properties, as designated by local authorities; and

• Reconnaissance and investigation of flooding impacts in support of relief effort planning.

CAF assets have been deployed for an initial 30 days with the possibility of extensions based on periodic reassessment prior to the expiry of this initial period.

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