Manitoba is looking ahead to future natural disasters, with 89 municipal projects approved as part of the province’s 2022 Mitigation and Preparedness Program.
Transportation and infrastructure minister Doyle Piwniuk announced Tuesday that the program, first introduced two years ago, helps mitigate against future disasters by giving municipalities a leg up with their deductibles when it comes to federal cost-sharing arrangements for disaster financial assistance.
Through the program, municipalities will have the flexibility to use deductibles for a project of their choice, or to choose to place the funds in reserve until they’ve chosen a project.
“As municipalities cannot fight extreme weather events alone, this funding support will not only help build local resiliency but also help municipalities better prepare and invest in disaster mitigation infrastructure to avoid costly damages in the future,” said Association of Manitoba Municipalities president Kam Blight.
Projects supported by the government program include things like enhancing culverts, raising roads, purchasing emergency generators and water pumps, enhancing dikes, securing equipment to train volunteers, and more.