The Province of B.C. has announced $150,000 in funding for the City of Courtenay through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF). Twenty-two local and regional governments have been approved for more than $3 million in provincial emergency preparedness funding to support flood risk assessment, mapping and mitigation planning.

In Courtenay, this funding will go towards a long-term mitigation strategy improving flood protection and evaluating existing dike structures along the major river systems within Courtenay’s jurisdiction. The project will also include updated flood mapping.

The last major Integrated Flood Management Study was completed in 2013. The new grant funding will help the City of Courtenay build on information and technical analysis from this previous work.

The funding will complement existing work underway in Courtenay strengthening resilience to climate change, including a Municipal Natural Asset Initiative pilot project, a project through the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) addressing climate change and extreme weather, and the Integrated Rainwater Management Plan that will guide how the community manages rainwater into the future. The Engineering Strategy team, within the City’s Engineering Services Department, will be leading this work.

Read the announcement from the Province of B.C.