The Government of Canada Announces Disaster Mitigation Investments and Modernizes Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements
Investments to be targeted at reducing flood risks
(firmenpresse) - OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/16/15 -- Public Safety Canada
The Honourable Steven Blaney, Canada''s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced the upcoming National Disaster Mitigation Program to begin April 1, 2015. It will reduce flood-related costs for all levels of government and contribute to establishing conditions for the introduction of a residential flood insurance market in Canada.
Minister Blaney also re-affirmed the support of the federal government to cover disaster costs that exceed what individual provinces and territories could reasonably be expected to bear on their own.
As the Government of Canada shifts towards a proactive disaster relief model that will better protect Canadians and their communities, the new program will help reduce flood-related costs for all levels of government and help protect Canadians in high-risk communities from the costs and heartache associated with reoccurring natural disasters.
In the Economic Action Plan 2014, the Government of Canada committed to providing $200 million over five years, starting in 2015-16, to develop a National Disaster Mitigation Program. The program will be focused mainly on flood mitigation, to better protect Canadians, their homes and communities.
This funding is in addition to the investments made under the New Building Canada Fund. Announced in Economic Action Plan 2013, the New Building Canada Fund provides $14 billion to support significant infrastructure projects across Canada as identified by the provinces and territories, which can include mitigation infrastructure to help prevent natural disasters.
Effective February 1, 2015, the Government of Canada will modernize the current Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements funding formula, which has not been updated in 44 years, by adjusting the eligibility threshold to half the effect of inflation since the program''s inception. The Government of Canada will continue to cover up to 90 per cent of eligible expenses for disaster recovery as requested by the provinces and territories at the most recent Premiers Conference in Charlottetown, re-affirming the support of the federal government to help subsidize the costs of major natural disasters.
Additionally in December 2014, the Government of Canada announced that major federal transfers to provinces and territories will increase by more than $3 billion in 2015-16. Federal transfers to the provinces have increased close to 63% since 2005-2006.
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Canadians in their times of need, and these adjustments, coupled with ongoing annual inflation review, will ensure that this critical funding continues to be available for future generations.
Quick Facts
Quotes
"To strengthen Canada''s emergency management approach, we are shifting from a reactive model to one that allows us to better identify, plan for, and prevent flood risks and the costs for Canadians that comes with them. Through the National Disaster Mitigation Program, the Government of Canada will provide provinces and territories funding to help share the costs of flood mitigation measures; improving resiliency against floods, which currently account for the majority of payments through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements. Our Government is also making modest adjustments to the DFAA, for the first time in 44 years, to ensure that this funding continues to be available to Canadians in a more sustainable way."
- The Honourable Steven Blaney, Canada''s Minister of Public Safety
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Contacts:
Jason Tamming
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Public Safety
and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2924
Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
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Datum: 16.01.2015 - 15:43 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 1330800
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