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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
More money for flood-hit province: Toews
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews (ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES )
WINNIPEG - The federal government is offering more flood-protection money to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec which each suffered serious flooding last year.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews revealed today details of a three-year $99.2-million program first announced in Ottawa’s spring budget.
Toews says some of the money will be used to reimburse the three provinces for permanent flood mitigation measures such as dikes and culverts that were built during last year's heavy flooding.
He said by working jointly with the provinces and territories on mitigation projects, the impact of natural disasters can be reduced.
"It doesn’t make sense to spend money on the same projects every years as the same projects get flooded out every year," Toews said.
He added officials hope the program, called Financial Support to Provinces and Territories for 2011 Flood Mitigation Investments, can be developed into a permanent national program, modeled after a similar program put in place after the 1997 flood in southern Manitoba.
Toews says funding flood protection is a new step, because the government usually only helps cover repair work after a disaster.
But it may not be enough to satisfy the provinces.
Manitoba alone spent roughly $1 billion fighting last year's flood and is hoping for more federal funding for an emergency channel at Lake St. Martin, a project that cost almost $100 million.
Ottawa has paid $100 million to date to Manitoba under the separate Disaster Financial Assistance program to help offset the cost to the province of fighting last year’s flood.
Toews said more money under DFA is coming to the province.
"It’s anticipated we’re going to spend a lot more than $100 million." he said, estimating it to be between $300-$400 million.
-- with files from Bruce Owen
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