Skip to Main content

17.43°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Sports Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

Feb 21, 2023 9:02 PM - The Canadian Press

B.C. adds $180 million to help communities prepare for natural disasters

Share On

Local governments and First Nations in British Columbia are getting more support to prepare for the risk of natural disasters related to climate change.

The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness says it will add $180 million to support projects that help communities

prepare for and mitigate the effects of natural disasters.

The ministry says the government's Community Emergency Preparedness Fund has previously supported projects that include a dike in Merritt, public cooling infrastructure in Victoria and tsunami evacuation planning in Tofino.

It says it will also now provide a one-stop online platform for communities and First Nations to review flood, wildfire, weather and other hazardous events data that had previously been spread over various government websites.

The program also includes supports for communities to prepare for the effects of extreme cold and heat.

The government says since 2017, local governments and First Nations have received funds for more than 1,300 projects to prepare for natural disasters and climate-related emergencies.

Latest news

AlbertaMay 11, 2026

RCMP lift shelter-in-place order in St. Albert after armed suspect search

RCMP lifted a shelter-in-place order in St. Albert on Saturday after searching for a suspect connected to a recent armed robbery, according to police. Mounties issued the order earlier in the day for residents in the city northwest of Edmonton, advising people to remain inside their homes and avoid opening their doors to anyone while officers searched the area. Police said the order was lifted about two hours later, although the suspect had not been located. According to RCMP, investigators no longer believe the suspect is in the community. No additional details about the armed robbery or the

AlbertaMay 11, 2026

Fatal Highway Crash Northeast of Calgary Leaves Two Dead, Child Critically Injured

Two people are dead and two others including a child remain in critical condition following a two-vehicle collision northeast of Calgary on Saturday morning, according to RCMP. Mounties said officers responded to reports of a crash involving a Ford Escape and a GMC truck towing a trailer near an intersection in Rocky View County. Police said the Ford Escape was carrying four occupants at the time of the collision. RCMP confirmed two female passengers in the Ford Escape died from their injuries. One was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second died later in hospital. A child and an adult

illegal-gambling-investigation-in-metro-vancouver-leads-to-11-arrests

Illegal gambling investigation in Metro Vancouver leads to 11 arrests

Police in British Columbia say 11 people have been arrested following an investigation into an alleged illegal gambling operation in Metro Vancouver. According to investigators, the probe began in November 2025 after police received information about a suspected gaming house operating in Maple Ridge. Officers executed search warrants on April 29 at locations in Maple Ridge, Coquitlam and Surrey. Police said investigators seized gambling equipment, more than $34,000 in cash, and a shotgun fitted with a suppressor during the searches. Authorities have not released details about the identities of

lethbridge-man-charged-with-breaching-release-conditions-tied-to-child-sexual-abuse-case

AlbertaMay 08, 2026

Lethbridge man charged with breaching release conditions tied to child sexual abuse case

Lethbridge Police say a 36-year-old man has been charged after officers allegedly found him in contact with a youth while bound by court-ordered release conditions connected to previous child sexual abuse charges. According to a Lethbridge Police Service release, officers responded May 6 to a report of a vulnerable 15-year-old girl getting into a vehicle with an adult male in the parking lot of a northside swimming pool. Police conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as a man prohibited from having contact with anyone under 16 years old. Police said the accused was also subject to c

smith-presses-carney-on-pipeline-agreement-and-project-approvals

CanadaMay 08, 2026

Smith presses Carney on pipeline agreement and project approvals

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa on Thursday to discuss federal–provincial energy cooperation and major infrastructure project approvals. Smith said Albertans and industry investors are growing frustrated with delays tied to large-scale projects. She called for an oil pipeline and energy cooperation memorandum of understanding to be finalized within days. According to Smith, some conditions tied to the agreement between the federal and Alberta governments were supposed to be completed by April 1, a deadline that has already passed. She also argued

Related News

Illegal gambling investigation in Metro Vancouver leads to 11 arrests

Illegal gambling investigation in Metro Vancouver leads to 11 arrests

Police in British Columbia say 11 people have been arrested following an investigation into an alleged illegal gambling operation in Metro Vancouver. According to investigators, the probe began in November 2025 after police received information about a suspected gaming house operating in Maple Ridge. Officers executed search warrants on April 29 at locations in Maple Ridge, Coquitlam and Surrey. Police said investigators seized gambling equipment, more than $34,000 in cash, and a shotgun fitted with a suppressor during the searches. Authorities have not released details about the identities of

Verdict expected in Abbotsford double homicide trial involving 2022 home invasion

Verdict expected in Abbotsford double homicide trial involving 2022 home invasion

A B.C. Supreme Court judge is expected to deliver a verdict today in the first-degree murder trial of three men charged in the deaths of an elderly Abbotsford couple during a 2022 home invasion. Court heard during the judge-alone trial that 77-year-old Arnold De Jong died from asphyxiation after his head and face were wrapped in duct tape, while 76-year-old Joanne De Jong was beaten and had her throat slashed. The couple’s bodies were discovered inside their Abbotsford home in May 2022. Abhijeet Singh, Gurkaran Singh and Khushveer Toor, all in their 20s, pleaded not guilty to first-degree mu

Police seek public help identifying suspect in Chilliwack bus driver assault

Police seek public help identifying suspect in Chilliwack bus driver assault

Chilliwack RCMP are asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect connected to an assault on a bus driver earlier this year. According to police, the incident happened March 16 near South Sumas Road and Vedder Road in Chilliwack. Investigators said the suspect was a passenger on the bus and allegedly assaulted the driver, causing injuries. RCMP have not released details about what led to the incident. However, officers said investigators obtained video footage from the area showing a young man leaving the scene after the alleged assault. Police estimate the suspect is between 18 and 19

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

BC Children's Hospital