Burnaby council is looking at a plan to evaluate which neighbourhoods within the city are at the most risk of wildfires and other extreme weather events.
Five city councillors have put forward the motion, which would direct staff to identify parts of the city most at risk over the next 25 years.
Staff would then establish appropriate land uses for those areas in the city’s Official Community Plan.
The motion also says “there is certainty” that Burnaby residents will experience more extreme weather events over the next few decades.
“How can we make sure we’re mitigating the risks of hazards that we know are going to happen, to as few people as possible?” Coun. Alison Gu said.
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“And so making sure that we’re planning for where housing goes, schools, parks and making sure in emergencies, we’re saving first responders from having to help as many people as possible and giving them crucial minutes in the process.”
Burnaby is no stranger to extreme weather events with the latest leaving vehicles and infrastructure damaged during the atmospheric river last October.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada said 2024 was the costliest year yet, with severe weather-related losses totalling a record $8.6 billion in insured damages.
“We need to be thinking ahead in Canada so we need greater investments in reducing risk in high-risk areas,” Craig Stewart with the Insurance Bureau of Canada said.
“We also need some sort of mechanism, frankly, to make sure that governments and insurers partner more closely on providing insurance in those areas.”
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