Feds defend response to flooding in B.C. after Abbotsford mayor slams inaction

The federal minister responsible for handling natural disasters defended her government in the wake of criticism about how it has responded to flooding in B.C.'s Fraser Valley.

Eleanor Olszewski, the minister for emergency management and community resilience, said her "heart goes out" to everyone affected by the floods that have inundated the region in the past week and that Ottawa is ready to help should there be a request from local or provincial officials.

But at a news conference on Friday, Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens accused the federal government of inaction following the 2021 floods and failing to address mitigation needs and prevent a similar disaster.

"Once again, the safety, the well-being of our residents, our farms, our livestock, provincial food security, [the] provincial economy and even our national economy remain unprotected and at risk," he said.

Speaking on CBC's The Early Edition Monday, Olszewski confirmed she spoke with Siemens late Friday afternoon — after he said he had not heard from anyone in the federal government since the flooding began — and that she discussed the "various streams of money" available.

She said Ottawa modernized the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program last spring and that mitigation strategies are now covered under the scheme.

Olszewski said the federal government had dispersed approximately $1 billion in reimbursements to the provincial government since the 2021 floods and she expects a further $4 billion will be paid out once claims are processed.

"It's quite a tedious and lengthy process," she said. "It can sometimes take quite a while but we are making progress."

But the minister did not have an answer as to why the federal government has yet to make good on a promise to have a nationwide low-cost flood insurance program in place for homes in high-risk areas.

She said she has met with provincial and territorial counterparts and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, but that the government has to ensure that it "doesn't duplicate" what's offered through private insurance industry.

Siemens also told reporters on Friday that the the federal government had rebuffed proposals from Fraser Valley municipalities to develop a flood mitigation plan.

Olszewski, who was named to cabinet in June after she was elected to the House of Commons in April, would not comment on what happened in the aftermath of the 2021 floods, but she referred to the recent federal budget's proposed spending on climate adaptation and resiliency infrastructure.

The Build Communities Strong Fund is a $51-billion investment, over 10 years, with a $6-billion allotment for regionally significant projects, large building retrofits, climate adaptation, or community infrastructure.