In the spring of 2018, river flooding in the Grand Forks area spurred the evacuation of nearly 3,000 residents within the Kootenay-Boundary region, from Westbridge in the north to Midway westward and Christina Lake eastward.
Years on, the impact continues and controversy surrounding the event lingers.
Destruction from “atmospheric rivers” in the fall of 2021 ravaged several highways and communities in BC, totalling $9 billion in damages. Many months later, work is ongoing across several repair projects, including Highways 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8.
This year, communities across British Columbia do not believe they are financially equipped to protect their region against flooding. They seek provincial assistance.
Delegates at the 2022 Union of British Columbia Municipalities passed a special resolution this week, reported Wolf Depner for Black Press Media. The resolution—which suggests municipal governments do not have sufficient financial and human resources to conduct necessary work—asks the BC government to “significantly increase its level of funding and assume greater responsibility for flood preparedness and mitigation.”
The resolution also calls on the Province to take over responsibility for diking. The government downloaded that responsibility to the municipal level in 2003.
The UBCM, which represents 189 local governments, hosted its annual convention in Whistler.
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