Three Tri-City communities will share more than $87,000 to better prepare for natural disasters and climate change hazards.
On Thursday, April 18, BC’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness announced $30,000 for the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nation to build up its emergency responses.
And Port Moody will get $29,932 for multi-jurisdictional extreme temperature preparedness, while Port Coquitlam will receive $27,850 for upgrades to its Emergency Operations Centre facilities.
The total amount of $2.7 million for 80 projects in 100 municipalities and First Nations is coming through the provincial Community Emergency Preparedness Fund; the funding is administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).
"As we move into the wildfire season, we know that many communities may need to activate their emergency operations centres (EOC) to respond and support people in their areas," said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, in a news release.
“Local emergency operations centres are crucial for co-ordinating emergency response to keep people safe. This funding will help communities support responders on the ground and better protect people in emergency situations."
Since 2017, the provincial government has injected $369 million into the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, with some $217 million allocated for 1,970 projects; more than half of the money has been disbursed since December 2022.
