Merritt’s fight for financial support continues as Coastal flood watch puts pressure on Federal Government

MERRITT — While Merritt isn’t under any sort of flood warning the West Coast continues to be on high alert.

The Coastal region of British Columbia continues to stay under flood watch as of Thursday, February 1st 2024, and all eyes are on the Federal Government in hopes of a shift in financial support for flood affected areas.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada is pushing for flood protection in high-risk areas through a possible partnership between governments and the insurance industry.

The bureau says the national program would mean homeowners would get affordable flood coverage rather than relying on taxpayer-funded disaster financial assistance,

which can take months or years to arrive as most Merrittonians are aware.

The atmospheric rivers occuring in B-C’s South Coast this week reinforce the need to move forward with a national flood insurance program.

According to the bureau B-C has 200,000 households at high risk of flood damage.

That number is the third-highest number among jurisdictions in Canada, and they’re calling on Ottawa to support the program in the upcoming federal budget.

While the City of Merritt has waited for years to get even a cent from the current disaster response support system.

Bill Blair, the former minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness visited Merritt to do a photo opportunity with former Mayor Linda Brown during the floods of 2021.

According to current Mayor Mike Goetz, “Blair claimed there was money coming in and that they had Merritt’s back.”

Years went by and Merrittonians didn’t see a single penny thrown their way, with no positive trajectory in sight.

Locals were basically left in limbo.

Goetz says “DMAF has Disaster Mitigation in their title and for 13 months they had absolutely no money in their funds.

From basically November of 2021 to July of 2023 we applied to get 169 million dollars in support.

It’s a first come first serve basis and we applied first. We gave them a very detailed 165 page application and have heard absolutely nothing back.

We haven’t had the courtesy of a reply, we haven’t even been provided any sort of update, we ask consistently and get nothing.”

Here is a statement straight from the Infrastructure section of the Government of Canada website;

“In 2018, the Government of Canada launched the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF),

committing $2 billion over 10 years to invest in structural and natural infrastructure projects to increase the resilience of communities that are impacted by natural disasters triggered by climate change.”

It’s a statement that hasn’t rung true at all for the City of Merritt. 

While it’s unfortunate, perhaps having floods affecting “bigger cities” in the Vancouver area will lead to some actual change as it seems the small City of Merritt isn’t being heard when it comes to the Nicola Valley Hospital or financial assistance for flood recovery.

Geotz says “I was invited May 4th (2023) to speak about the issues regarding the DMAF program with the Federal Government, Member of Parliament Dan Albas helped set that up.

When you testify with the Federal Government when you make any recommendations they have to act on them. That also means they can reject them outright.

I gave five recommendations and they accepted two of them.

A lot of people didn’t have any insurance when the floods hit so one of my suggestions was for the Federal Government to have an insurance of their own so Canadians don’t have to rely on the big companies in these situations.” 

Merritt did receive funds to fix the Middlesboro Bridge but that money came from the province.

The bridge was destroyed in the 2021 flood that forced thousands from their homes, as some have yet to return years later.

The rebuild will link Merritt back to the community of Collettville and is expected to be completed by Fall of 2024 or early 2025.