Alaina Lockhart, member of parliament for Fundy Royal, announced $637,500 in federal funding to New Brunswick under the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) to better plan for and prevent the effects of flooding in Sussex.

“Flooding is a threat to our safety, our economic stability and the livelihood of our residents,” said Lockhart. “The Government of Canada, in partnership with the Province of New Brunswick, is making meaningful investments in our communities to reduce the impacts of flooding and increase our overall disaster resiliency. I commend the Town of Sussex for taking action to reduce both the risk and the impact of flood events in Sussex’s major commercial area and look forward to being a meaningful partner for similar projects throughout Fundy Royal.”

This funding will support the design and construction of a flood berm and stormwater pumping station to reduce the risk of surface flooding from the Kennebecasis River in the Gateway Mall area, the Town of Sussex’s major commercial hub. Flood berms are man-made barriers made of earth, gravel, rock, or other materials, with sloping sides and a flat top that is used as a flood proofing measure to protect against high water. The project began in 2018 and has been extended until March 31, 2020.

“I, along with the residents of Sussex, look forward to the beginning of Flood Mitigation Planning,” said Marc Thorne, mayor of Sussex. “I believe the flooding experienced in our region is the single most important issue faced by our residents and surrounding communities.

“I believe there is a need to begin the process of introducing flood mitigation improvements and to explore the development of a Master Plan to attempt to achieve a potential flood solution,” Thorne added. “There are technical difficulties and difficult approvals for any plan, but a solution is worthy of consideration and to begin the planning and development of the Master Plan / solution. This Gateway Mall project is an integral part of our Master Planning and a critical project to set the foundation for our future mitigation efforts and to secure a vital commercial core in Sussex from flooding.”

The Government of Canada cost-shares up to 50 per cent of eligible expenses for projects submitted by provinces projects and 75 per cent of eligible expenses for projects submitted by territories under the NDMP. For this project, the federal government is contributing $637,500 and the Town of Sussex is contributing the remaining $637,500 for the project that was submitted through the Province of New Brunswick in 2018.

“It’s encouraging to see communities like Sussex taking proactive steps to mitigate the effects of flooding. This is one example of how, together, governments are working to plan for, prepare for and respond to extreme weather events,” said Bruce Northrup, member of the legislative assembly of New Brunswick for Sussex-Fundy-St. Martins. “This kind of initiative is essential to minimize damage and keep people safe. This is a great example of resilience beginning at the local level and we’re happy to play a role in seeing these projects through. The Government of New Brunswick is pleased to help communities submit mitigation proposals under the National Disaster Mitigation Program.”

Through the recently released Emergency Management Strategy for Canada, the Government of Canada is committed to working with provincial and territorial partners to better identify, plan for, and reduce the impact of weather-related emergencies and natural disasters on Canadians.

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