Federal Support to Flooding

May 12, 2017 – 12:00 p.m. EDT

Updates:

• Yesterday, the Province of British Columbia requested support from the Government Operations Centre to identify options for procuring sandbags. This information has since been provided.

Summary of Events

• On May 5, 2017, the Minister of Public Safety accepted a formal request for federal assistance from the Government of Quebec.
• On May 7, Minister Goodale also accepted a request for assistance from the Government of Ontario to provide 250,000 sandbags. The sandbags were delivered, fulfilling the request.
• The Government Operations Centre, on behalf of the Government of Canada, is leading the coordination of the federal response to the flooding situation in Ontario and Quebec. Officials continue to work closely with federal and provincial partners on the specifics of this assistance. 
• Approximately 2,487 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are deployed to support Quebec citizens and coordination efforts. Numbers of deployed personnel will fluctuate over the next week due in part to the availability of Reservists.
• The Government of Canada announced that it will pay all costs to support the Canadian Armed Forces role in the emergency response. Canadian Forces support includes: distributing and filling sandbags, transporting affected citizens, reinforcement of dikes and walls protecting critical infrastructure, and be ready to provide assistance to civilian partners, such as the Red Cross.
• There have been a number of evacuations nationally, including approximately 225 in British Columbia, 130 in Eastern Ontario, and 3,641 in Quebec. There have been mandatory evacuations from the Quebec Municipalities of Pontiac and Rigaud, and Montreal and surrounding areas, and the British Columbia Regional Districts of Thompson-Nicola, Columbia Shuswap, and North and Central Okanagan.
• The Government of Canada announced a $1 million contribution to the Canadian Red Cross to assist with flood efforts. Canadians can make donations to www.redcross.ca.
• Drone users are reminded that a Special Flight Operating Certificate (SFOC) is needed for drone use, and are asked to keep away from police and emergency services activities. A notice was issued by Transport Canada prohibiting the unauthorized use of drones in the vicinity of flood zones in Quebec.

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For more information, please visit the website www.publicsafety.gc.ca or https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/flooding-in-canada.html.

Information:

Scott Bardsley
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-998-5681

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
(613) 991-0657