A couple surveys floodwaters from behind a row of sandbags on the street in an east end community of Ottawa, May 1, 2019.Canada’s largest cities collectively made little or no progress in preparing for flooding over the past five years, according to a new report, even as increasing numbers of homeowners discover their homes are effectively uninsurable for Canada’s costliest natural hazard.
The report singled out Edmonton as the best-prepared city. It stood alone in providing free home flood assessments through its municipally owned utility, Epcor. Edmonton was also the only city demonstrating “the highest level of preparedness” for pluvial flooding – that is, when torrential rainfall overwhelms drainage systems or causes flash floods.It wasn’t always that way. Edmonton scored a mediocre C in 2015.
The centre also praised Toronto and Regina for maintaining the integrity of telecommunications, electricity and other infrastructure during major floods. Halifax, which performed abysmally in 2015, was the most improved city; Mr. Feltmate said it had reformed its land-use planning and drainage practices.Offsetting those improvements, six cities performed worse in the latest study: Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Charlottetown and St. John’s.
You build where it floods every year that is on you not other tax payers