Flooding continues to be the most frequent and costly disaster in Canada, causing an average of over $1 billion in direct damage to homes, property, and infrastructure annually. The Government of Canada has put in place a number of measures to improve the resiliency of Canadians in the face of the rising frequency and costs of flood events.
Today, Yasir Naqvi, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen's Privy Council and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, and Sameer Zuberi, Member of Parliament for Pierrefonds-Dollard, met with members of the community, business owners, volunteers and municipal leaders to discuss the impacts of the floods in Pierrefonds in 2019.
As part of the day's activities, PS Naqvi and MP Zuberi visited 3 Soeurs BOL, a family-run restaurant that continuously contributes to the community through food donation in the aftermath of floods and other emergency events. They also visited the On Rock Community Services Centre, where they met with the Founder and President and discussed how the organization is a staple in the community through their help and support to those who need it.
PS Naqvi and MP Zuberi also met with Stéphane Côté, Mayor of L'Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève, and Dimitrios Jim Bies, Mayor of Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
Discussions focused on the impacts of the flooding in these communities in 2017 and 2019, the local mitigation work underway in preparation for this year's flood season, as well as Emergency Preparedness Week. Emergency Preparedness Week runs May 1-7, 2022, and this year's theme is "Emergency Preparedness: Be Ready for Anything!".
