Disaster-related costs to increase by $1 billion by 2034. PBO says
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/10/2025 (290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA – The parliamentary budget officer says federal assistance to help Canadians recover from natural disasters could increase by more than $1 billion over the next 10 years.
The Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement helps provinces and territories recover from and respond to natural disasters, including floods, wildfires and major storms.
In a report today, Parliament’s budget watchdog projected costs of the program will increase from about $881 million in the last fiscal year, to more than $1.8 billion by 2034.
The PBO modelling suggests the average number of wildfires and storms have increased over time, while the number of floods have remained constant.
The PBO also says the average cost for each disaster is much higher than it was 15 years ago, as storms get more powerful and the population has risen in high-risk areas.
The report says on average, disaster assistance will include about $1.2 billion per year for floods, $325 million for wildfires and $258 million for storms.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published October 23, 2025.