Vancouver Island communities and First Nations are among the recipients of provincial funding for safety measures like evacuation-route planning and emergency-alert systems.
“As we face more severe weather events due to climate change, the safety of people remains the top priority,” said Bowinn Ma, B.C. minister of emergency management and climate readiness. “Recent emergencies, such as wildfires and landslides, highlight how important it is that people have the information they need to evacuate safely.”
Funding for 22 projects around the province totalling $909,000 is being distributed through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, which is administered through the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
In Tofino, $30,000 has been received to expand the use of digital tools to reach people when emergencies happen.
The funding will help the municipality development an emergency-notification and outreach plan to keep the community better informedduring an emergency, said Hilary O’Reilly, Tofino’s emergency program co-ordinator.
The fund has provided $223 million for more than 2,020 projects since it was established in 2017.
Other Vancouver Island projects include:
• The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District receives $120,000 for developing a public-notification plan with regional partners Port Alberni, the Tseshaht First Nation and the Hupacasath First Nation.
• The Nanaimo Regional District receives $88,500 for work on an evacuation route and regional public notifications with partners Parksville and Qualicum Beach.
• North Saanich receives $30,000 for a Saanich Peninsula alert-notification plan.
• The Snuneymuxw First Nation receives $30,000 for evacuation-route and public-notification planning.
