The final piece of the funding puzzle for the debris flood retention structure planned for Cougar Creek in Canmore was announced Thursday (Oct. 13) by the federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi.
The final piece of the funding puzzle for the debris flood retention structure planned for Cougar Creek in Canmore was announced Thursday (Oct. 13) by the federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi.
Sohi was in Canmore to announced funds for three projects approved as disaster mitigation infrastructure out of new funding for provinces and municipalities created by the Federal Liberal government in the 2016 budget.
The minister announced more than $20.5 million to support Canmore’ s debris flood retention structure planned for Cougar Creek with $14.4 million, Rocky View County’ s flood mitigation project in Bragg Creek with $5.6 million and a drainage diversion project in the Town of Raymond with $545,343.
“As we all know, the Southern Alberta floods in June 2013 caused widespread social and economic damage in the region and it is important to make investments to mitigate the frequency and severity of flood risk in the future,” Sohi said.
MLA for Banff-Cochrane Cam Westhead said the federal funding announcement builds upon $50 million in funding from the province already in place. That includes $20 million for the mitigation on Cougar Creek, the majority of which has come through the Flood Recovery Erosion Control program.
“Those funds are in addition to $6.2 million the province invested in armouring of Cougar Creek, a short-term mitigation project that is now complete,” Westhead said. “When these projects are complete, Canmore, Bragg Creek and Raymond will be safer, more flood resistant communities.”
Borrowman said the $14.4 million that was announced by the minister completes the funding needed for total estimated project budget of $48.2 million, given that provincial funds are already in place.
“The funding being announced today by the federal government and Minister Sohi together with previous commitments that we have from our provincial partners will allow for the construction of robust infrastructure similar to those proven over time to be very effective in mountainous regions of other parts of the world,” said the mayor.
Rocky View County Councillor Liz Breakey welcomed the funding for flood mitigation along the Elbow River in Bragg Creek.
“As someone who has been through this flood, what we are building is a future, a sense of confidence and security that will allow our people to invest, to thrive and to grow,” Breakey said.
Raymond Mayor George Bohne was also happy to have federal funds coming towards that community’ s efforts to address a drainage issue discovered during the 2013 flood.
The funding announced for that project is in addition to $927,957 provided by the province and total estimated cost is $1.6 million.
