The province is plugging some significant dollars into an ongoing flooding issue at a popular park.
The City of Vernon has been mapping out the Polson Park naturalization project to make Vernon Creek more resilient to flooding, improve people’s safety, protect park infrastructure, and restore riparian and fish habitat.
Four undersized bridges that present a flood risk will be removed and replaced with one modern bridge.
In collaboration with the Okanagan Indian Band and regulatory authorities, fish-spawning habitat and native trees and shrubs will also be incorporated.
The project is getting $2.52 million from B.C.’s Community Emergency Preparedness Fund.
“The climate crisis is here and we need communities to adapt and strengthen their defences against flooding and other extreme-weather events,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “We are working with local governments and First Nations to reduce disaster risk and better prepare people and communities for the impacts of climate change.”
The province is investing approximately $39 million for more than 50 local disaster-risk reduction and climate-adaptation projects through the fund. This funding will be used by local governments and First Nations to make necessary changes, such as small-scale structural flood projects and improvements to community flood-mitigation strategies, including more accurate flood mapping.
While taking immediate steps to support communities and keep people safe, the Province is also launching a new comprehensive B.C. Flood Strategy that will guide continued flood preparedness and mitigation work by all orders of government from now until 2035. The strategy will support communities to better prepare for flood impacts and strengthen their ability to respond to flood crises.
“After decades of piecemeal approaches to flood management, we have worked with communities to develop B.C.’s first integrated vision for provincial flood preparedness so we can keep people safe,” said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “The new B.C. Flood Strategy will guide our continued work with First Nations, local government agencies, the agricultural sector, industry and conservation organizations, as we take actions to reduce flood risk. Together, we can build stronger communities that are resilient to flood hazards in a changing climate.”
READ MORE: North Okanagan community taps into water improvement funds
READ MORE: Flooding closes Polson Park in Vernon
