British Columbians encouraged to have their say on disaster assistance

Oct 19, 2023 | 1:27 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — B.C. has been hit hard with natural disasters in recent years, with fires and floods devastating landscapes and impacting countless lives. The provincial government is now inviting British Columbians to provide input to help shape and improve new emergency-management regulations, and getting that feedback is crucial.

“It’s incredibly important. One of the things that’s really happened with all of the major events that we’ve had over the last several years is there’s been a greater demand for financial assistance after events. Events are taking longer. People are out of their homes longer, and it’s impacting people in a greater financial way.” – Tanya Spooner, Manager of Emergency Programs, City of Prince George

Public engagement is open until Dec.31, 2023, to gather input on the development of two new regulations under the recently introduced emergency and disaster management act. Individuals, communities and small businesses are invited to share written feedback or take part in virtual workshops in November. Sessions for First Nations will also be offered.

The new emergency and disaster management act is replacing the existing Emergency Program act which hadn’t been substantially updated since 1993. Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said in a statement that “by participating in this engagement, British Columbians will have a say about how they can best be supported when they require assistance recovering from an emergency event.”