Government of Canada provides disaster recovery funding to Nova Scotia for wildfires, flooding and storm Dorian

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - In 2023, Nova Scotia experienced one of its worst wildfire seasons, leading to extensive damage to residences, small businesses, farms, municipalities, and provincial sites, and the evacuation of more than 16,000 people. Just over a month later, the province experienced extreme rainfall that led to the worst flooding the province has experienced in 50 years. This follows the significant damage to public and private infrastructure and prolonged power outages caused by storm Dorian across the province in 2019.

Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, announced payments of almost $67 million to Nova Scotia through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program, to assist with response and recovery costs associated with the wildfires in 2023, the extreme rainfall and flooding in summer 2023, and storm Dorian in 2019.

When a large-scale natural disaster happens, the Government of Canada provides financial assistance to provinces and territories through the DFAA program. Through this support the Government of Canada covers eligible disaster response and recovery expenses that have been submitted by the province or territory and that exceed what they could reasonably be expected to bear on their own.

Extreme weather events and natural disasters are a growing threat to the safety and economic stability of Canadian communities. The Government of Canada has and will continue to work closely with the Government of Nova Scotia to respond and recover from disastrous events such as the recent wildfires and floods.

Quotes

"In the last few years, we've seen the effects of climate change increase the frequency of disasters like wildfires and severe flooding. Our government is working very closely and collaboratively with the province to support Nova Scotians. This funding will help support Nova Scotia with their recovery and rebuilding efforts, as we work together to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Prioritizing our resiliency towards recurring disasters will help strengthen our adaptability and our ability to better recover."

- The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

"People here at home in Nova Scotia have been hit hard by natural disasters recently, and this nearly $67 million payment will provide crucial additional relief as we work to recover and rebuild."

- The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"2023 will be remembered as the year the climate crisis arrived at our doorsteps in Halifax West. To this day, I meet residents whose lives were overturned by the devastating wildfires and flooding we lived through. Our work now is not only to rebuild, but to continue addressing both climate change and climate resilience. I am proud we have a federal government that supports Nova Scotia and our residents."

- Lena Metlege Diab, Member of Parliament for Halifax West, Nova Scotia

Quick Facts 

• During the 2023 season, Nova Scotia saw approximately 220 wildfires that burned approximately 25,000 hectares of land due to minimal snow accumulation over the winter followed by a spring drought. Communities within Halifax and Shelburne Counties were impacted by wildfires from May 27 to June 11, 2023, and many of those fires became interface fires causing damage to multiple residences, small businesses, farms, municipalities and provincial sites, and led to the evacuation of more than 16,000 people. For this event, the Government of Canada has provided an interim payment of $15,990,330.
• From July 21 to 23, 2023, Nova Scotia experienced flooding affecting the entire province due to extreme rainfall. The rainfall was equivalent to what the province usually receive in three months and was the worst flooding the experienced in 50 years. For this event, the Government of Canada has provided an interim payment of $50,116,209.
• From September 7 to 8, 2019, the census divisions of Annapolis, Antigonish, Cape Breton, Colchester, Cumberland, Digby, Guysborough, Halifax, Hants, Inverness, Kings, Lunenburg, Pictou, Queens, Richmond, Shelburne, Victoria, and Yarmouth located in Nova Scotia were most heavily affected by post-tropical storm Dorian. The post-tropical storm triggered maximum recorded winds of 145 km/h, heavy rain up to 130 mm, storm surges, and localized flooding throughout the province, and caused significant damage to public and private infrastructure such as wharfs, marinas, breakwaters, retaining walls, bridges, and main roads. Furthermore, prolonged power outages affected over 400,000 residents. For this event, the Government of Canada has provided an interim payment of $707,160.
• In Canada, emergencies are managed first at the municipal level and if assistance is needed, the municipality requests it from the province or territory. If the emergency escalates further, provinces or territories can get help from the federal government.
• The DFAA provides assistance when response and recovery costs exceed what individual provinces or territories could be expected to bear on their own. Federal government payments are calculated on a per capita basis and cost-shared with the province or territory. The amount cost-shared is determined by an established formula and ranges from 50 to 90 percent of the costs of eligible expenses.
• Eligible expenses under the DFAA include, but are not limited to, evacuation operations, restoring public works and infrastructure to their pre-disaster condition, as well as restoration or replacement of individuals' uninsurable principal dwellings, restoration of small businesses, and farmsteads and mitigation measures to reduce the future vulnerability of repaired or replaced infrastructure.
• Under the DFAA, provinces and territories have six months following the end of a disaster event to request financial assistance from the federal government. Once an event has been designated under the DFAA, provinces and territories have up to five years to submit their final claim.
• A request for payment under the DFAA is processed immediately following receipt of the required documentation of provincial and territorial expenditures and a review by federal auditors. Advance payments or interim payments, up to 50 or 60 percent of the projected federal share, can also be requested within the five-year timeframe.
• Since the inception of the program in 1970, the DFAA has been a reliable source of support for provinces and territories. As of March 2024, the Government of Canada has provided over $9 billion in post disaster assistance to help provinces and territories with the costs of response and returning infrastructure and property to pre-disaster condition.
• Budget 2023 proposed $48.1 million over five years, starting in 2023-2024, to identify high-risk flood areas and implement a modernized DFAA program which would incentivize mitigation efforts. This work is being informed by the findings and recommendations of an independent advisory panel and the input of provinces and territories. A modernized program is set to launch in 2025.

Associated Links

• Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements
• Guidelines for the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements
• Minister Blair welcomes final report from expert advisory panel on Canada's approach to disaster recovery funding

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SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Contacts: Joanna Kanga, Press Secretary, Office of the President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]