OTTAWA, August 2, 2011 - The Honourable Vic Toews, Canada's Minister of Public Safety, today announced a payment to the Province of British Columbia of $2 million under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program for response and recovery costs incurred by the Province following the 2007 spring flood in northern British Columbia.
"The Government of Canada is pleased to support British Columbia's recovery from spring flooding in 2007," said Minister Toews. "Today's interim payment will reimburse the Province for some of the response and recovery expenses incurred when the flood damaged infrastructure which is key to the affected Canadian communities."
"Many residents of northern British Columbia were directly affected by flooding in the spring of 2007," said the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and Regional Minister for British Columbia. "Our Government remains committed to supporting the provinces and territories when large natural disasters occur."
Extreme snow melts and rainfall between May 27 and August 10, 2007, resulted in severe flooding and landslides along most major northern British Columbia rivers damaging homes, farms and highways. Affected regional districts included Peace River, Fraser Fort George, Bulkley-Nechako and Kitimat-Stikine, the cities of Prince George and Terrace, the villages of Telkwa and Hazelton, the town of Smithers, and Nisga'a Lisims Government.
Since its inception in 1970, the DFAA program has provided more than $2 billion in disaster financial assistance to the provinces and territories. For more information on the federal DFAA program and its guidelines, please visit Public Safety Canada's website www.publicsafety.gc.ca.
Information:
Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
