SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 28

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 10, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 28 - Feb/10/22
Mr. Yasir Naqvi (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • Feb/10/22 6:33:44 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments by the hon. member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay. Our government absolutely recognizes the profound consequences that November's flooding has had on local communities in the member's region. Our thoughts remain with all those who were impacted by this tragic disaster. Our government is committed to being a strong federal partner in the response and recovery from this event. Since day one, we have been there for British Columbia whenever the province reached out for help. We approved a request for federal assistance from the provincial government on November 17, 2021, the same day that it declared a state of emergency. At the peak of the response, just under 750 Canadian Armed Forces personnel were deployed in British Columbia. The CAF assisted with evacuations, offered logistical support and helped with flood mitigation efforts to protect critical infrastructure and properties. Our government also announced in the immediate aftermath of this event that we would match every dollar Canadians donated to the Red Cross's British Columbia floods and extreme weather appeal. With provincial support, this meant that every dollar turned into three dollars for the people of British Columbia. Thanks to the generosity of Canadians, by the end of the fundraising period, just under $19 million was raised. I am pleased to inform the member opposite that as of January 17, 2022, the Red Cross has already distributed more than $17 million in evacuation-related emergency financial assistance to more than 7,200 eligible households. Its work will continue in the months ahead. As communities continue to move toward recovery from this event, our government recognizes that there is significant work to be done to build back in a better, more resilient way. We recognize that there is significant work to do. The Insurance Bureau of Canada has estimated that the insured costs alone from this event are roughly $515 million, the highest of the year. With the impacts of climate change, extreme weather events in B.C. and across Canada are only going to become more frequent and severe. That is why we have established a joint committee with the Province of British Columbia to move forward on these issues together. Through the committee, our governments will work with indigenous leadership to build back in a way that better protects British Columbians from future climate events, creates cleaner and healthier communities, and supports Canada's efforts in reaching our climate goals. This committee is chaired by my colleague, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, and his provincial counterpart, Minister Farnworth. The committee had its first meeting in December, when it laid out some of the key priorities to guide this work going forward. The committee held its second meeting earlier this week, during which members discussed the importance of enhancing capacity and putting more resiliency into our infrastructure and communities. This work will require a collective effort and an integrated approach that will recognize the important work of indigenous partners. I thank the hon. member again for raising this important issue. Our government remains committed to ensuring the well-being of his constituents and everyone in British Columbia. We will continue to work with all partners as we continue on this path toward recovery.
542 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 28 - Feb/10/22
Mr. Yasir Naqvi
  • Feb/10/22 6:38:18 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for the important points he is making. On his first point, I want to assure him that through the disaster financial assistance arrangements, we are working very closely with the Government of British Columbia. We have received an initial assessment from it, and our officials are now reviewing that assessment for supports that would be available. I agree with the member opposite that climate change is real and that climate change is having a huge impact on our weather patterns. We need to work together, work smarter and work harder to make sure we are building resilient infrastructure. If the member opposite looks at the mandate letter the minister received, he will see there is a very important emphasis being put on the minister by the Prime Minister to build resilient infrastructure so that our communities can sustain these—
148 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border