Fraser Valley flood resilience
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to invest in flood monitoring, early warning systems, infrastructure and emergency preparedness tailored to the Fraser Valley and surrounding BC regions. The government responds that it is enhancing forecasting and flood mapping and providing funding (Flood Risk Finder, Build Communities Strong Fund) to support local flood-resilience projects.
Why we would sign this petition
- Improves detection and warnings so communities get earlier notice of floods, reducing risk to life and property.
- Funds upgrades to dikes, drainage and other infrastructure, which could limit repeated damage to homes, farms and businesses.
- Strengthens regional supply-chain resilience by reducing disruptions to trade routes and local economies.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Flood management is primarily provincial/municipal; federal investment could duplicate existing regional responsibilities or complicate coordination.
- The required investments are large and compete with other urgent infrastructure needs across Canada.
- Existing federal programs and tools (mapping, funds) already target flood resilience; the petition may duplicate efforts rather than improve coordination.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to WHEREAS PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA • The City of Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley are highly vulnerable to flooding due to low-lying geography adjacent to the Fraser River and tributaries; • Recent severe flood events have caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, agricultural lands, and critical infrastructure in the region; • Flooding disrupts critical supply chains and trade routes, impacting not only local but also regional and national economies; • The existing flood protection infrastructure, including dikes, levees, and drainage systems, is aging and inadequate to withstand current and future flood risks; • Effective flood mitigation requires substantial investment in modern infrastructure and scientific planning. THEREFORE We, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to invest in flood monitoring, early warning systems, infrastructure and emergency preparedness tailored to BC's regional needs in the Fraser Valley and surrounding regions.
Government response
Response by the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature Signed by The Honourable Julie Dabrusin Environment and Climate Change Canada continuously improve its weather and environmental prediction models, including adopting emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. This spring Environment and Climate Change Canada will launch a groundbreaking hybrid weather forecasting model that combines the power of artificial intelligence with the strengths of traditional forecasting methods. Through this strategic use of artificial intelligence, Canada is enhancing public safety, improving emergency readiness, and giving Canadians more time to act to high-impact weather. With climate change, extreme weather events are more frequent and intense. Canadians from coast to coast to coast are impacted and rely on reliable, timely and accurate weather and water quantity information to take appropriate actions to protect themselves and their properties. The Government of Canada recognizes the significant impacts that these extreme events, including flooding, have on communities. Flooding puts critical infrastructure at risk and impacts local and regional economies. That is why it is critical to adapt to current impacts of climate change and to mitigate these risks. Flood monitoring Environment and Climate Change Canada generate timely, accurate and reliable information about weather and climate-related risks and emergencies in support of emergency preparedness, management and response. Flood management is a shared responsibility across all levels of government: federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal. Provinces and territories have primary legislative responsibilities for managing the water resources within their borders, including land use and flood infrastructure. As such, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s information supports provincial and territorial authorities in forecasting flood conditions and issuing flash flooding and other flood-related risks, alerts and warnings to the public. Early warning systems and Emergency Preparedness The Government of Canada, through the mandate of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Meteorological Service of Canada, is responsible for alerting Canadians about extreme weather events, including precipitation events. These alerts and warnings play a significant role in informing provincial, territorial, and regional/local flood response efforts, and in supporting Public Safety Canada as the federal lead on emergency management. Additionally, in November 2025, C-241 was introduced in the House of Commons. This proposed piece of legislation would help federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as well as Indigenous peoples across the country plan for adverse weather events caused by the changing climate. The Bill would require the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature to table a report after two years outlining the government’s plan to coordinate and improve flood and drought forecasting. Government of Canada investments in Flood Mapping The Government of Canada, through two rounds of investment, has invested in the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program led by Natural Resources Canada, with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Public Safety Canada. This program aims to help Canadians better plan and prepare for future floods and is one of many measures meant to increase the resiliency of Canadians in the face of the rising frequency and costs of flood events and other climate-related disasters. In partnership with provincial and territorial governments, the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program aims to complete flood hazard maps of higher-risk areas in Canada and make this flood hazard information accessible. These maps will help emergency planning by guiding the placement of evacuation routes, and support land use planning by helping to identify the ideal locations for critical infrastructure and flood mitigation structures like dikes. In coordination with the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program, through the Freshwater Availability project within the National Adaptation Strategy, Environment and Climate Change Canada will also be developing future predictions of streamflow based on various future climate scenarios. This will provide a range of possible outcomes for all of Canada, including watersheds shared with the United States of America. This work will provide valuable information to support climate-resilient flood management plans, encompassing regions such as the Sumas Prairie and city of Abbotsford. In April 2026, the Government of Canada announced Canada’s Flood Risk Finder, the country’s first national, publicly available source of flood hazard and risk information. Developed through a collaborative effort from Public Safety Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Statistics Canada, and funded through the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program, this platform provides Canadians with consistent, easy-to-access flood hazard and risk information. Users can search by address to find information about the flood risk in their area, rated on a four-point scale from low to extreme. Technical development of Canada’s Flood Risk Finder is now complete, and provinces and territories can now opt in so that local flood risk information will be available and searchable in the portal for Canadians living in those jurisdictions. Other related Government of Canada investments from Budget 2025 The Government of Canada’s Budget 2025 committed $2.7 billion over nine years to modernize Environment and Climate Change High-Performance Computing capacity. This investment is critical, as these advanced systems run the complex models needed for accurate weather forecasts, alerts, warnings, and climate projections. As a result, this enhanced capability directly supports emergency responders, as well as benefits all Canadians to help them make informed decisions to protect against adverse impacts of extreme weather such as heat, flooding or wildfires. Budget 2025 also earmarked $55.4 million over four years, starting in 2026-27, and $13.4 million ongoing, for Public Safety Canada to support a new National Public Alerting System model. The National Public Alerting System is a federal, provincial, and territorial system that disseminates immediate warnings of hazards to life to Canadians. Alerts are currently produced for extreme thunderstorms, tornadoes, and earthquakes at the federal level, as agreed upon with provincial and territorial partners. Environment and Climate Change Canada recognize the importance of the National Public Alerting System for the protection of Canadians against life-threatening hazards and is responsible for the majority of National Public Alerting System alerts, issuing up to nearly 85% of alerts nationwide for extreme thunderstorms and tornadoes. Response by the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada Signed by Jennifer McKelvie, M.P. The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for sharing their concerns regarding flood monitoring, early warning systems, and emergency preparedness in the City of Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley. Budget 2025 introduced the Build Communities Strong Fund, to support public infrastructure projects, including climate-resilient infrastructure, across Canada, and the fund was officially launched on April 7, 2026. The Build Communities Strong Fund provides $51 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, and $3 billion per year ongoing, to support a wide range of infrastructure priorities, including regionally significant projects, climate adaptation, and community infrastructure. The Provincial and Territorial stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund makes available $17.2 billion to support housing related and post-secondary related infrastructure projects, including water and waste-water infrastructure. Within this stream, there is $5 billion in health infrastructure funding provided over three years, beginning in 2026-27, to support the modernization and expansion of health infrastructure. The Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund provides $6 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, to support regionally significant projects, climate adaptation, and community infrastructure. Proponents of regionally significant projects would be required to seek private sector investment, including private investment leveraged through Canada Infrastructure Bank financing. The Canada Community-Building Fund has been rebranded as the program’s Community stream. This stream will provide $27.8 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, and $3 billion per year ongoing, as planned. The Community stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund is a permanent, predictable source of federal funding that provides municipalities with stable, long-term infrastructure funding to support local priorities. Funds are transferred to provinces and territories, who in turn flow the funds to municipalities to allow them the flexibility to invest in a wide range of eligible infrastructure categories, including resilience, drinking water and wastewater, and capacity building. Municipalities can use this funding as an effective way to address flood risks by supporting both physical infrastructure and planning initiatives. Funding can be directed toward flood mitigation and climate-resilient infrastructure such as stormwater management systems, drainage upgrades, flood protection works, natural or green infrastructure, and rehabilitation of existing assets to reduce flood vulnerability. They can also support planning and capacity-building activities, including flood risk and vulnerability assessments, climate adaptation and resilience strategies, and data collection or modeling. The new investments under the Build Communities Strong Fund will build on Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s previous contributions, including investments of over $545.2 million in 22 projects in British Columbia through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. This includes the Fraser River Bank Erosion Protection Enhancement Project in Abbotsford, providing $7.2 million to reduce the risk of further erosion on the Fraser River bank, specifically the erosion of the Matsqui Dyke. In addition, under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, one project related to flood impact mitigation in Abbotsford was also funded - the Barrowtown Pump Station Backup Power Generator project, with a federal contribution of $5.2 million. The recent December 2025 flooding in the same area was a reminder of the impact of nature and the interlinkages between climate change, communities’ needs, trade routes, and deep integration in transboundary regions. The Government of Canada will continue to collaborate with local partners to find long-term resilience solutions and reduce risks in that area while balancing the needs of other areas in Canada that are also impacted by more frequent and severe extreme events. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada programs focus on building resilient and inclusive communities for Canadians. Through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund and other programs, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada supports infrastructure projects designed to mitigate current and future climate-related risks and disasters triggered by natural hazards, such as floods, wildland fires, droughts, and seismic events. As of November 2025, all funds under the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund have been allocated, with investments continuing to support approved projects currently under implementation. In response to the measures outlined in this petition, some initiatives, such as infrastructure upgrades to mitigate flood risks, may be eligible for funding through the Direct Delivery and Community streams of the Build Communities Strong Fund. Communities are encouraged to work with provincial and federal partners to explore eligible projects that align with these funding streams, focusing on infrastructure solutions that reduce flood risk and enhance climate resilience. The Government of Canada recognizes the concerns raised by local leaders and residents, and it remains committed to working and collaborating with all partners, including provincial, territorial and city officials and Indigenous community representatives, to ensure federal investments are responsive to community needs. Flood mitigation is a shared priority, and the federal government will continue to take action, in partnership with the province of British Columbia, to build a safer, more resilient future for British Columbians and all Canadians.