The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Derek Bennett, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Municipalities:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share information with my Honourable colleagues and the residents of Mud Lake regarding the issue of potential flooding in that community. We appreciate their concerns, and indeed the concerns of residents in all communities where flood risk is an issue.

Significant work has been done to better prepare for such events.

Flood risk mapping was recently completed for the Churchill River, with the Exploits and Humber rivers soon to follow. We have launched a new interactive flood risk mapping application to view projections for flood risk and we have developed the country’s first real time flood forecasting model on the Churchill River to provide residents with information and advance warning of potential floods. These resources are providing residents and community governments with the best available tools they need to plan for the future.

Mr. Speaker, we have been working closely with Mud Lake, meeting with the community this past fall and sharing this information and data.

We have programs such as the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements to help residents during a flood event, which many residents of Mud Lake availed of in 2017.

The Community Relocation Policy, which is community-initiated and community-driven, is another program that communities may consider in difficult situations.

Mr. Speaker, I am open to addressing flood concerns with any community in the province. We will continue to work with communities like Mud Lake to ensure they have the appropriate tools and supports they need to help them in making decisions that are in the best interests of their residents.

Thank you.