Lack of national disaster mitigation plan prompts ‘criticism’: federal notes

OTTAWA – Internal federal notes say the national strategy for taking advance steps to minimize the impact of catastrophes such as the Alberta flood has endured heavy criticism for not backing up words with financial support.

The floods that ravaged southern Alberta highlight the importance of a funded national disaster mitigation program — something the federal government and provinces have been working on for years.

Mitigation includes measures such as the building of floodways and dikes to eliminate or reduce damage from a disaster.

Five years ago, federal and provincial governments launched the country’s national disaster mitigation strategy — saying it is part of a robust emergency management system.

However, the strategy has yet to be supported with a program for implementation and has attracted criticism for recognizing the importance of mitigation but not providing financial support.

The internal Public Safety notes, released under the Access to Information Act, acknowledge that investment in mitigation has historically been limited and fragmented across various programs and departments.