Chilliwack River Valley gets emergency-evacuation funding

People in the Chilliwack River Valley will be kept safer in emergency situations thanks to provincial funding that will improve evacuation routes and help get the word out to the public during weather-related emergencies.

The Fraser Valley Regional District is receiving $30,000 for its Electoral Area E Evacuation Guide which will help local governments and First Nations strengthen their plans for emergency evacuation and public notification planning.

“People in the Chilliwack River Valley know what it’s like to deal with weather-related emergencies, and this funding will help the Fraser Valley Regional District develop an evacuation plan for the area to make sure that we can keep people safer in case of disaster,” said Kelli Paddon, MLA for Chilliwack-Kent.

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In total, more than $800,000 is being provided to 19 communities across B.C. to support this work to improve emergency evacuation route and public notification plans.

More than $164 million has been provided to local governments and First Nations through the Climate Emergency Preparedness Fund for over 1,500 projects to help communities become more climate resilient. This work also supports the province’s Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy, which outlines a broad range of actions for 2022-2025 to address climate impacts and build resilience across B.C.

“Recent wildfires in remote regions of B.C. have put communities at risk of being cut off from the rest of the province, highlighting the need for good, advanced planning to ensure residents are able to evacuate safely,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “We also know that First Nations and local governments have the most up-to-date information to provide to people to keep them safe. These funds will help ensure British Columbians can leave the area safely when a disaster hits, and will improve emergency notification, alerts and communication to people during emergencies.”