Ottawa – In spring 2015, Saskatchewan experienced serious flooding, with rainfall totaling from 50 to 100 millimeters within many areas in the province. This event had major impacts on local residents and their livelihoods, and resulted in significant damage to homes, farms, non-profit organizations, businesses, and infrastructure across the province.
The Honourable Bill Blair, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, has announced an interim payment of $23,666,519 to Saskatchewan through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program, to assist with recovery costs associated with the 2015 spring floods.
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.
“As the effects of climate change increase the frequency of natural disasters like flooding, we are committed to supporting Canadians, and keeping them safe. This payment will support the province of Saskatchewan with their recovery and rebuilding efforts, as we work together to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Prioritizing our resiliency towards recurring natural disasters will help strengthen our adaptability and our ability to better recover.” – The Honourable Bill Blair, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness
“Natural disasters can have lasting negative impacts on individuals, communities and our province as a whole. When disaster strikes, it is imperative for us to be able to offer Saskatchewan families and businesses the financial supports they need to get back on their feet.” – The Honourable Christine Tell, Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency
Quick facts
- In 2015, Saskatchewan underwent a spring runoff event which accumulated flooding primarily in west central, central, east central, and the southeast areas of the province.
- In the event of a large-scale disaster, the Government of Canada provides financial assistance through the 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.
- Provincial or territorial governments design, develop and deliver disaster financial assistance, deciding the amounts and types of assistance that will be provided to those who have experienced losses. The DFAA program places no restrictions on governments in this regard.
- 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.
- 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 2020, however, requests from the province and the impact of the pandemic on provincial operations contributed to payment extensions. The revised deadline for Saskatchewan to submit the final request for payment to the federal government is December 2025.
- The Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) is a $3.8 billion competitive program to support public infrastructure projects that mitigate current and future climate-related risks and disasters. Since 2018, the Government of Canada has invested $42.1 million in flood mitigation projects in Saskatchewan through DMAF to increase the resilience of its communities. In January 2023, DMAF launched its new round of intake. More than $1 billion in federal funding is currently available.
