The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced funding for the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir project in Calgary, Alberta.
In June 2013, communities in southern Alberta experienced devastating effects of flooding caused by heavy rainfall. To better protect these communities from future flooding events, the Government of Canada is supporting the construction of an off-stream storage reservoir in Rocky View County.
This will divert extreme flood flow from the Elbow River to a reservoir where it would be contained temporarily until the flood peak has passed. Once completed, these measures will help protect thousands of people and their homes, schools, and local businesses, and ensure that southern Alberta communities remain safe for decades to come.
“Taking concrete steps to adapt to the impacts of climate change is more and more essential to ensuring a safe prosperous future for our kids and grandkids,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “By investing in the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir project, we are helping Alberta get ahead of the problem, and protect Calgarians and communities to the south from the heavy personal and economic costs of increasingly threatening weather events.”
The Government of Canada is contributing $168.5 million to this project through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). DMAF is a $2-billion, 10-year program to help communities build the infrastructure they need to better withstand natural hazards such as flood.
“Extreme weather is becoming more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive because of climate change,” said the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety. “By investing in the infrastructure that protects our neighbourhoods, businesses, and families, we are building communities that can withstand future natural disasters and thrive for generations to come.”
