Cowichan Valley receives $550K boost to support flood recovery

Flood mitigation efforts underway in Cowichan Valley A 'tiger dam' and other flood mitigation equipment are being constructed at three First Nations on Vancouver Island ahead of more rain.

The Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) is one of 10 communities that's receiving provincial funding following severe flooding this past winter.

The CVRD is set to receive $550,000 from the province, and is the only area of Vancouver Island to receive the relief funding.

In November, the CVRD declared a state of emergency due to flooding. The declaration lasted nearly a month.

Residents of a Duncan, B.C., apartment building were evacuated amid heavy rains in November, and the CVRD warned residents in low-lying areas that they should be prepared to evacuate at any time due to flooding.

In total, B.C. has promised $53.6 million for communities impacted by the winter's extreme flooding, particularly in the hard hit regions of Merritt, Princeton, and Abbotsford.

"The November floods were a stark reminder of the climate crisis and the impacts extreme weather events are having on people and our communities," said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Municipal Affairs, in a statement.

"Our government is committed to ensuring local governments and their residents have access to the resources they need to recover, including housing in the medium term, while we work to develop long-term solutions to better protect people and communities," he said.