Government of Canada provides disaster recovery funding to Saskatchewan for spring floods
OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 21, 2022 /CNW/ - Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in Canada, and in 2013, significant spring flooding in Saskatchewan caused major damage to homes, municipalities, First Nation communities, agricultural structures, small businesses, and to both public and private infrastructure across much of the province.
Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, announced an interim payment of $19,666,317 to Saskatchewan, through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program, to assist with recovery costs associated with the 2013 floods.
Under the DFAA, provinces and territories have six months following the end of a disaster event to request financial assistance from the federal government. Once an event has been designated under the DFAA, provinces and territories have up to five years to submit their final claim. The original five-year limit for this event was October 2019; however, the province requested two extensions, and the revised deadline to submit the final request for payment is now December 2023.
"Rebuilding in the aftermath of significant flooding takes time and we will continue to work closely with the Government of Saskatchewan to support them throughout the recovery. As we work to adapt to the impacts of climate change, including natural disasters, we're committed to building resiliency, ensuring that communities are able to build back stronger."
- The Honourable Bill Blair, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness
"Providing relief after a weather disaster not only helps restore Saskatchewan communities and support our residents, it maintains hope and potential for a full recovery. The financial burden of extreme weather events is extraordinary and this interim payment from the Government of Canada will assist with those costs. The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to ensuring our citizens are not only safe, but also supported during disaster crises."
- The Honourable Christine Tell, Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency
- In the event of a large-scale disaster, the Government of Canada provides financial assistance through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program to provinces and territories, at their request, for eligible disaster response and recovery expenses that exceed what they could be reasonably expected to bear on their own. Provinces and territories provide financial support to impacted communities based on the criteria of their own provincial disaster assistance program's recovery plans and policies.
- Provincial or territorial governments design, develop and deliver disaster financial assistance, deciding the amounts and types of assistance that will be provided to those that have experienced losses. The DFAA program places no restrictions on governments in this regard.
- Eligible expenses under the DFAA include, but are not limited to, evacuation operations, restoring public works and infrastructure to their pre-disaster condition, as well as replacing or repairing basic, essential personal property of individuals, small businesses, and farmsteads.
- Since 2018, the Government of Canada has invested $42.1 million in flood mitigation projects in Saskatchewan through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). The DMAF provides support for structural and natural infrastructure projects to increase the resilience of communities that are impacted by natural disasters triggered by climate change.
- Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements
- Guidelines for the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements
- Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund: Overview
SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
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