Since the devastating floods in 2021, British Columbians have been repeatedly let down by the Liberal government. With minimal support from Ottawa, the municipalities of Abbotsford, Merritt, and Princeton have struggled to recover and rebuild in advance of future floods. The Prime Minister assured them that his government ‘would have their back.’  

The municipalities have gone through a lengthy and expensive application process for federal funding through the Disaster Mitigation & Adaptation program.

I was shocked to see that on June 3, their application was denied.

By denying this application, the government is turning their backs on our region and putting critical national infrastructure at risk.

Preventing future recurrences of the 2021 disaster is critical for the people of British Columbia whose homes and livelihoods are under threat, but also to protect food security and supply chain integrity for the entire country. It cannot be overstated how pivotal this region’s flood resilience is to the economy of British Columbia and all of Canada.

This government has had over two years to help British Columbians prepare for floods. Together with my colleagues representing British Columbians, we are demanding that Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities demonstrate real leadership by reopening applications and working with these communities to ensure a fair deal for British Columbia.