Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government continues to invest in the flood resilience of communities across Canada through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF).
This time, the government has selected to support the city of London, ON. DMAF will provide funding to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment facilities in Greenway and in Adelaide, and the upgrade project will include a flood barrier and an effluent pumping station.
As recently as January this year, record rainfall in the area led to severe flooding along the Thames River – this put extreme strain on London’s wastewater and stormwater systems, a government release said. The government’s investment into the region’s wastewater treatment plants can help mitigate damage from flooding in the future, as well as help prevent the risk of untreated wastewater entering the river during a flood.
The federal government is investing more than $19.8 million to help with this wastewater facility upgrade through the DMAF, a release revealed. In addition, the city of London is contributing another $29.7 million to the project.
"Record rainfalls and flooding are becoming more frequent in London, as they are in other regions across Canada, as a result of Climate Change,” said London West MPP and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages Kate Young. “The construction of these new flood barriers and effluent pumping stations at our local wastewater treatment plants will better protect our river, downstream First Nation communities, and Lake Erie from the impacts of severe weather events."
"Severe weather events are on the rise, and it is imperative that we invest in infrastructure that protects Canadians, their homes, and their possessions. Climate change is the responsibility of our time,” added London North Centre MPP Peter Fragiskatos.
"This important investment in London's wastewater treatment plants helps us become more resilient to severe weather and protects our critical infrastructure from flooding along the river,” commented London mayor Ed Holder.
To date, the DMAF has provided more than $1.9 billion for 68 large-scale infrastructure projects that will help protect communities across Canada from the effects of climate change.
