The Mayor of Abbotsford is calling on the provincial and federal governments to help fund the city’s “urgent works,” three flood mitigation projects that together cost approximately $1.6 billion.
Abbotsford’s application to an Industry Canada disaster mitigation fund was denied, prompting the city, in concert with fellow municipalities Merritt, B.C. and Princeton B.C., to hold a joint press conference, in which the municipalities insisted the federal government change the way it funds climate change disaster prevention.
Mayor Ross Siemens speculated that there may be party politics at play, “one is left to wonder if this isn’t a political decision, because I’m not naïve enough to know that [the Justin Trudeau Liberal government is] in crisis mode, and so they’re trying to shore up their support, and their support is not out West.”
