Five area municipalities benefit from heat preparedness grants

Sep 14, 2022 | 1:03 PM

Five municipalities within the North Okanagan will be better prepared to handle heat events in the future.

A new provincial funding stream is supporting 36 communities in B.C. with grants to help them prepare for extreme heat, including Coldstream, Armstrong, Lumby, Spallumcheen and Enderby.

Almost $1.9-million is being distributed across B.C. through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund to implement extreme heat projects and strategies such as risk mapping, risk assessments, response plans and climate adaption planning.

“Given the ongoing effects of climate change in B.C. and around the world, we need to ensure that we’re prepared to respond to extreme heat events now and in the future,” Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and Minister Responsible for Emergency Management B.C. Mike Farnworth said.

“This new funding will be critical in supporting communities to develop their own heat plans and to help protect people, the local environment and local economy from the risks posed by extreme heat.”

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The local municipalities receiving grants will use their money for specific projects:

Armstrong, Lumby (shared) – $49,500 for heat event vulnerable population response planning
Coldstream – $29,610 for heat-risk mapping, assessment and planning
Enderby – $30,000 for heat risk mapping, assessment and planning
Spallumcheen – $30,000 for extreme heat risk assessment and mapping

“Our communities need support to mitigate the consequences of climate change, and our government is delivering,” Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee, said.

“I am thrilled that two projects in the riding are receiving funds to prepare our communities and protect people in the face of heat emergencies.”

Other area municipalities benefiting from the program include:

Chase – $23,000 for heat event vulnerable population response planning
Kamloops – $30,000 for extreme heat risk mapping, assessment and planning
Mission – $30,000 for an extreme heat project
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen – $300,000 for extreme heat assessment and response planning
Penticton – $30,000 for extreme heat risk analysis and planning
Revelstoke – $13,000 for a heat emergency plan

“Extreme heat is a life-and-death emergency for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities and can impact the lives of all residents,” Mark Pendergraft, board chair for the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS), said.

“The Community Emergency Preparedness Funding is critical to match the growing frequency and intensity of extreme heat emergencies in our region. As a regional district working with neighbouring partners, smart, strategic and well-planned management of these events is important for our long-term climate security, safety and well-being. CEPF allows the RDOS to get ahead of the next emergency and boost strategic capacity to deliver improved services to people when and where they are most in need. RDOS staff are very busy with emergency response work, due to our changing climate, and UBCM support makes emergency planning more strategic, creating a more resilient and better-prepared region.”

The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund is part of B.C.’s Climate Preparedness and Adaption Strategy. It is also intended to complement the B.C. Heat Alert and Response System that was launched earlier this year.

by Liam Verster

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