Question Period Note: Federal Supports Following Hurricane Fiona

Federal Supports to Hurricane Fiona

• The Government of Canada stands with the people of Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. All levels of government are committed to continue to work closely together to ensure that impacted communities are able to recover as quickly as possible.

• The Government of Canada provided a range of supports to the impacted provinces, including the deployment of the Canadian Armed Forces and resources from Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. As each province have transitioned from response to recovery, the federal government has adjusted the federal supports available to best aid this transition.

• Public Safety Canada has received DFAA requests from the Provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, and expects to receive a similar request from New Brunswick. The Province of Quebec advised that they are considering submitting a request for financial assistance under the program.

• During the initial response to the impacts of Hurricane Fiona we provided support with debris removal, restoration of transportation links, such as roads and bridges that assisted in power restoration, aerial imagery and mapping of damage, as well as air assets to support response and search and rescue efforts. This included the sheltering of displaced persons, through the Canadian Coast Guard.

• The Federal Government will match all donations to the Canadian Red Cross towards the Hurricane Fiona in Canada Appeal from September 25 to October 31, 2022, to address more immediate requirements for support for affected Canadians and their families.

• The Government of Canada is taking steps to prioritize flood risk, including working on a flood insurance program and ensure that Canadians are better protected and better able to recover from flood events and extreme weather events.

Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Atlantic Canada on September 24th, with devastating impacts experienced across the region.

Requests for Assistance

There is a well-established process in place for managing Requests for Federal Assistance (RFA), which is facilitated by Public Safety Canada regional offices through the Government Operations Centre (GOC), and includes interdepartmental consultation and coordination.

In response to the RFA submitted by Nova Scotia on Sept 24, federal support was provided for aerial imagery and recon capability, deployable Incident Management Team(s), tree and debris removal in support of line crews, and equipment and personnel to restore transportation links. Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has been deployed and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) remains available to provide support. Aerial surveillance imagery supplied by Transport Canada (TC).The province submitted an extension to their RFA that was approved for an additional seven days, until Oct 07. On 05 Oct, NS submitted a new RFA for additional assistance, and that was approved until Oct 13. The province also submitted an RFA to provide temporary accommodations for hydro crews that was rescinded on October 02.

On the evening of Sept 24, the GOC received an RFA from PEI requesting personnel to be deployed to multiple Transportation Dispatch Facilities to assist with the clearing of roadways to aid power restoration efforts. Federal support to this request is being provided through the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). A supplementary request from the province for CCG helicopter support was received by the GOC on the afternoon of 25 Sep and was approved in the evening. On Sept 28, PEI submitted a request to extend the previous RFA for an additional week. All tasks remain the same. This request was approved for an additional seven days, until October 08, 2022. CCG is providing surveillance flights to assist. On 09 Oct, PE submitted an RFA for support of power restauration efforts, and it was approved until Oct 16.

Federal assistance was also requested by NL and approved on Sept 25 for resources to conduct physical impact assessments and to support local authorities in ensuring the welfare and safety of affected residents. Federal support to this request is being provided by CAF. On Sept 28, NL submitted an additional request for support with removal of debris both on the ground and in the water, movement of property and personal property, and assistance with general clean-up efforts as required. This request was approved until October 05, 2022. On October 04, NL submitted a subsequent extension, and that has been approved until Oct 08.

Overall, CAF resources were deployed for 19 days from Sept 24 to Oct 13. The greatest deployment across all provinces on a single day was 748 members. The greatest deployment on a single day by province breaks down as follows: NS-529; PE-162; NL-158 (not including members from HCMS Margaret Brooke).

Impacts

As of 14 Oct power has been restored to all of NS and there are approximately 137 outages in PE. Power was been restored to impacted FN communities in Atlantic Canada, as of 03 Oct.
Crews continue to restore power to remaining customers in PE. In NS, additional Hydro crews from ON, QC, NL, NB, and New England arrived to assist NS Power.

Personnel continue to assess damage, clear debris and restore power. Reception centres, including those that provide food and water to affected residents, remain open across the province.

Overall telecommunication networks are stable with localized outages in PE and NS. ISED is coordinating with local telecommunications critical infrastructure operators and holding regular calls with service providers.

Crop damage and damage to farm buildings & equipment have been reported by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in NB, PE, and NS.

Residential Flood Insurance and Relocation

December 2021’s mandate letter for the Minister for Emergency Preparedness committed to ‘‘take action to help Canadians be prepared for, and recover from, the impact of floods in high-risk areas; Creating a low-cost national flood insurance program to protect homeowners who are at high risk of flooding and do not have adequate insurance protection; Developing strategies, in partnerships with the insurance industry and private sector, to lower insurance premiums and identify cost-effective ways to protect communities and homes from climate impacts; and Co-Chairing on behalf of the federal government, the Joint Committee of British Columbia and Government of Canada ministers on disaster response and climate resilience, ensuing effective coordination across all orders of government, including with Indigenous communities, and that lessons learned from the recent climate-related floods and fires are translated into effective policy action.

This is also supported by the December 2019 mandate letters to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, and the minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which also listed a mandate from the Prime Minister to create a new, low-cost national flood insurance program to protect homeowners at high risk of flooding and without adequate insurance protection as well as a national relocation action plan to assist homeowners with potential relocation for those at the highest risk of recurrent flooding.

This mandate commitment is being fulfilled through a Public Safety Canada-led task force on flood insurance and relocation, set up in January 2021. The task force brings together representatives from Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) governments and the insurance industry with a view to examine alternative viable options for the insurance program and potential ways that relocation can support risk reduction.

The interdisciplinary Task Force recently finalized its work in exploring and analyzing different insurance arrangements and measures to support potential relocation. The Task Force’s Statement-of-Fact report was published in late summer 2022 and was able to identify viable insurance solutions for Canada. Public Safety will continue to work with its provincial and territorial colleagues to advance the implementation of a solution within 18 months.

In parallel to the work of the Task Force, a Steering Committee on First Nations Flood Insurance Needs is being led by Indigenous Services Canada and the Assembly of First Nations to explore similar issues for on-reserve Indigenous communities.

Flood Mapping

The Government of Canada is investing $63.8 million over three years for the Flood Hazard Mapping and Identification Program by completing flood hazard mapping of areas at higher risk of flooding in partnership with provinces and territories (PT). Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is leading the collaboration with PTs to complete flood maps for higher-risk areas, in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada as well as Public Safety Canada. These efforts are aligned with the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada.
Investing in public awareness activities, such as the Flood Ready campaign, and risk and resiliency tools, like the Federal Floodplain Mapping Guidelines, will help all levels of government make informed decisions around flood mitigation.

Support to the Red Cross and Other Organizations

The Government of Canada is matching the funds donated to the Red Cross because this organization is on the ground providing immediate relief and recovery to Canadians who have been evacuated from their homes due to Hurricane Fiona. This support to the Red Cross will have the greatest impact for the greatest number of affected people. The Government of Canada recognizes and commends the efforts of other charitable organizations on the ground.

A range of players are involved in the ongoing response and recovery efforts. This includes the Red Cross, but also others, including the provincial and municipal governments, Indigenous governments and organizations, the private sector, and other NGOs.

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