MP Caputo presents Merritt-area flood repairs petition to Parliament

Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola Member of Parliament Frank Caputo rose in the House of Commons on Wednesday (Oct. 28) to present a petition on behalf of Merritt and the West Coast Corridor Resiliency Partnership (WCCRP).

This comes after the City of Merritt renewed its push for federal funding dollars, followed by the creation of WCCRP by the communities of Merritt, Princeton, Hope, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

“We had floods in Merritt in 2021. The government promised they would have British Columbians’ backs in Merritt. They have contributed next to nothing despite those promises. I stand with the good people of Merritt in terms of infrastructure that’s required for flood mitigation,” said Caputo.

In the five years since the floods, the City of Merritt and its recovery team have worked to secure funding to rebuild the city’s dike system.

So far, the provincial government has provided funding towards flood recovery efforts, and Merritt mayor Michael Goetz said the city has been looking to the federal government to step up.

“The feds have to get on board here. The province has given us $160 million. They repaired our bridge, so we don’t need to go to them anymore,” Goetz told CFJC News. “They have done their part, and they have worked a lot of hours with our ROC team. It’s now time for the feds to get on board.”

On November 15, 2021, the entire city of Merritt was evacuated amid an atmospheric river that poured rain over the region, leading to the Coldwater River swelling over its banks.