B.C. minister says Ottawa is absent from flood mitigation talks

B.C. Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene says the federal government has largely been absent from meetings on flood mitigation for the Sumas area after two major floods in five years, and she is calling for Ottawa to join local and Indigenous authorities at the table.

B.C. Minister of Emergency Management Kelly Greene said the federal government has been largely absent from planning discussions on flood mitigation following two major floods in the province over the past five years. She asked Ottawa to commit to working with local and Indigenous authorities as the Sumas-area mitigation work is finalized. Greene said it was premature to place a dollar figure on federal contributions and that the scale of required work exceeds what local governments can manage alone. Known details: - Greene said the federal government's voice has been absent from the Sumas flood mitigation table and that the most Ottawa has offered so far was a federal observer at a single meeting. - She and local leaders said federal participation is needed to help identify critical infrastructure and fish-habitat improvements intended to reduce flood risk. - Greene, Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens and Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver were expected to meet with federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski and Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson on Wednesday. Summary: Greene described federal involvement as necessary to advance flood mitigation work for the Sumas area and to protect regional transportation and food-security links. A federal representative has attended only one meeting so far, and officials were expected to meet with federal ministers on Wednesday to discuss next steps. The scale of funding or specific federal commitments remains undetermined at this time.