Federal government helps fund Manitoba's flood mitigation project

Funding will be used to help support flood mapping efforts in the region

Federal government helps fund Manitoba's flood mitigation project

Catastrophe & Flood

By Lyle Adriano

The federal government is providing the province of Manitoba with $794,520 in funding over three years.

The funding, provided under the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP), will help efforts to create a flood map of three priority watersheds in the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba basins – a project valued at about $1.6 million.

“Weather-related natural disasters are getting more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive.  This is a threat not only to the safety of our communities, but to our economic stability,” said Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, in a statement.

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“The Government of Canada is determined to reduce these risks in partnership with provinces and territories. The project announced today will help the Government of Manitoba better prepare for and respond to flooding.”

“I welcome this funding to the province of Manitoba as it will help in preventing and mitigating flooding in our communities and enrich the province’s effort in managing emergencies,” said Doug Eyolfson, Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley.

“Manitobans have been weathering major floods since the early 1800s and we have emerged as a leader in predicting and managing floodwaters. The funding announced today will help expand the mapping of flood prone areas of the province to better predict and prepare for what nature sends our way,” commented Ron Schuler, Minister of Manitoba Infrastructure.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, insured damage in 2016 hit $4.9 billion, breaking the previous annual record of $3.2 billion set in 2013. Flooding damage has accounted for 80% of all federal disaster payments over the past two decades.


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