Vernon gets $747K from province in effort to prevent flooding on BX Creek | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Vernon gets $747K from province in effort to prevent flooding on BX Creek

FILE PHOTO - BX Creek in Vernon is seen in this undated file photo. City of Vernon is receiving $747,000 from the province to put towards flood mitigation work on BX Creek, which has a long history of flooding.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Vince Spoor

Vernon is receiving $747,000 from the province to put towards flood mitigation work on BX Creek, which has a long history of flooding.

The City of Vernon, along with three other B.C. communities, are getting the funds through the provincial Community Emergency Preparedness Fund to support structural flood mitigation projects, improving the communities’ ability to be resilient and prepared in an emergency, according to a B.C. government news release.

This current $8.5 million funding stream targets projects to prevent, eliminate or reduce the impacts of flood hazards. Vernon, Dawson Creek, Sparwood and Williams Lake were the most recent recipients.

READ MORE: High water creates concerns for residents on BX Creek in Vernon

Since the September 2017 budget update, communities and governments in B.C. have received more than $60 million through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund. Funding for the Structural Flood Mitigation component of the fund was announced at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in September 2017. 

Vernon's funds will go towards the construction of a sedimentation pond to reduce deposits along BX Creek, which has a long history of flooding and sediment transport.

“Preventing floods keeps people and vital infrastructure safe in our community,” Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu said in the release.

“Local governments are committed to enhancing public safety. After the issues at BX Creek were identified during flood risk assessments and mapping, we’re taking the necessary steps to help the City of Vernon prevent future disasters.”

More information on how to apply for grants from the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund can be found on the UBCM website here.


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