B.C. funds Fraser River shoreline flood protection in Fraser Valley
A First Nation in British Columbia whose chief says is under consistent threat of flooding will receive a boost from the province for shoreline stabilization.
The $5 million aimed at so-called riprap erosion control measures is going to the Sqwa First Nation, Shxwha:y Village and the City of Chilliwack.
The announcement comes a week after the province provided $23.4 million in funding to 49 communities to help reduce risks from future disasters related to natural hazards and climate change, including $150,000 for a drainage pump station upgrade design in Chilliwack.
In a press release shared Friday morning, the province announced engineering designs for the shoreline stabilization will begin immediately and construction will begin in 2024.
The work will also allow for a new six-kilometre dike project to go ahead along the Fraser River, including a new floodgate crossing on the Hope Slough and a new drainage pump system, funded with $45 million from Infrastructure Canada, $13 million from Indigenous Services Canada and $7 million from the City of Chilliwack.
Without flood mitigation and protection measures, Sqwa Chief Lara Mussell says the threat of rising waters makes it difficult for the nations to secure a future for their lands.
She says the funding commitment from the province on shoreline protection helps to safeguard their culture, traditions and way of life.
"It will also help enhance the safety and well-being of our neighbours in the City of Chilliwack," Mussell said.
Prevent future disasters
In November 2021, extreme rain swamped rivers and farmland across southern B.C. and triggered mudslides that blocked every major highway connecting the Lower Mainland to the rest of the country.
It was one of the most severe natural disasters to strike the province in a generation, leading to the forceful displacement of nearly 20,000 people and the deaths of thousands of animals.
In the Fraser Valley, flooding impacted residents in the Sumas Prairie area of Abbotsford and the community of Yarrow and Majuba Hill in Chilliwack.
Officials reported the flooding was a result of the "imminent failing" of the Barrowtown Pump Station, which was the only thing keeping excess water flow from the Fraser River from entering the flooded area.
The province said the newly announced funding will allow for immediate action to be taken to address erosion issues, allowing the planning and construction of the long-term dike project.
Premier David Eby says people in B.C. have seen first-hand the impacts of climate change with atmospheric rivers, a heat dome and record wildfire seasons, and the funding helps to recognize Indigenous peoples as partners and leaders in emergency management.
"The work we are funding today will protect people and help recognize Indigenous peoples as true partners and leaders in emergency management," Eby said.
