Disaster Financial Assistance Payment for 2021 BC Flooding

By Gary Symons

The Canadian government has provided a second payment to help British Columbia recover from the devastating flooding in 2021.

Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair announced a payment of $5.57 billion through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program.

That brings the federal government’s contribution to more than $1 billion, with some of that funding dedicated to helping farmers rebuild.

“The Government of Canada has been working closely with the province, municipalities and First Nations to recover and rebuild following the devastating flooding that took place in November 2021,” Blair said. “This payment is another important step in building back from this event in a way that better protects British Columbians.”

The province experienced what the government called a “once-in-a-century” atmospheric river storm that caused severe flooding, landslides, and mudslides.

The flooding event in November led to the evacuation of approximately 18,000 people across the province, with extensive damage to homes, bridges, roads, including every major highway connecting the lower mainland to the rest of Canada, and widespread damage to the agricultural industry.

In particular, the area of Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford was very hard hit, as berry growers and dairy farms were inundated by water when a nearby levee was breached.

Stronger Together: Stories of Resilience from those Affected by the 2021 Sumas Prairie Floods

Stronger Together is a mini-documentary about British Columbia’s Sumas Prairie farmers affected by the flooding that devastated many of the region’s agricultural operations in November 2021.

The video is part of AgSafe’s larger Mental Wellness in Agriculture initiative that encourages producers to reach out for help and offers mental wellness resources for the agricultural community.

The stories in Stronger Together are real and touching first-hand accounts of the psychological toll the floods and recovery have taken on many farmers and their families.

The video as a whole is a powerful look at how the people in one community have come together to support each other through a laborious, financial and mentally taxing recovery process. The stories and sharing of emotion are powerful and honest.

Premiering at the Pacific Agricultural Show, Stronger Together was produced with the support of the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Foods, Canadian Agricultural Partnership, and the Government of Canada.

With Stronger Together, we celebrate the resilience and support that is ever-present among BC’s agricultural producers and show the reality of how very challenging farming and farm life can be.”

AgSafe released Stronger Together on their YouTube channel.

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.

“The devastating impacts of the 2021 atmospheric river event continue to affect people and communities across British Columbia,” said Bowinn Ma, BC’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “We’ve made strides in our efforts to recover and strengthen resilience, but we know there’s still more to do.”

In cases of disasters like the 2021 floods, the provincial government typically provides initial funding to those affected, and the federal government reimburses those costs as the recovery work continues.

Through the Canada-BC Flood Recovery Program for Food Security, to date, more than $61 million has been provided to more than 400 applicants to help with expenses for things like animal feed; shelter, fencing, the loss of perennial plants not raised for resale; and returning land to agricultural production.

Ross Siemens, the mayor of Abbotsford, said the funding is critical the community’s recovery.

“More than a year later, repair efforts remain part of our daily lives in Abbotsford, and there is still much work that needs to be done to ensure our families, farmers and businesses are safe and provincial food system is secure,” Siemens said.