The Halalt First Nation wants work to continue to mitigate the impacts of flooding on the Chemainus River.
In a letter sent to the province, Halalt Chief James Thomas asked the government to help fund two projects on the river that were planned to take place this summer; including removing gravel from the river in the area between the railway and the Chemainus Road bridge, and erosion protection along sections of the river’s right bank.
Thomas said the First Nation had been informally told in May that those two projects would not be funded by the province this summer, and that the only scheduled project that would be funded was the construction of a temporary dike along the side channel of the river to protect the Halalt from lower-magnitude floods.
RELATED STORY: FLOOD MITIGATION WORK UNDERWAY FOR LOWER CHEMAINUS RIVER
He said the First Nation has deep concerns that by stepping back from this work, the province is putting Halalt communities at significant risk of another flood this winter.
“Given that all agencies are aware of our immediate issues with respect to flooding and that the province has been part of a multi-partnered approach to solving the issues, stepping away from the table at this point significantly jeopardizes work planned for the summer,” Thomas said.
David Conway, North Cowichan’s director of subdivision and environmental services, has since advised council that the province recently announced they will be moving forward with plans for limited gravel removal downstream of the railway bridge on the Chemainus River this summer.
The Cowichan Valley experienced devastating flooding during the atmospheric river that passed over the region in November, 2021.
The Chemainus River overflowed its banks and impacted homes, farms and businesses around the Trans-Canada Highway, as well as on the Halalt First Nation and other lands further downstream.
Local and senior levels of government stepped in at the time to help begin mitigation work to prevent such major floods on the river in the future, and work was carried out last year to remove gravel and sediment build-up from a section of the lower Chemainus River downstream from the Trans-Canada Highway bridge that had significant riverbank erosion and sediment build-up.
Thomas said the three projects planned for this summer are the next steps in the overall mitigation planning.
RELATED STORY: HALALT FIRST NATION BREACHES RAIL LINE TO REDUCE FLOODING
He said recent studies, funded by the province and undertaken by the Cowichan Valley Regional District and the Municipality of North Cowichan, clearly indicate that the risks of catastrophic flooding on the Chemainus River are still extreme, and even floods of a lesser magnitude have the potential to pose substantial risk to people, infrastructure and communities in the lower Chemainus River valley.
“Short term mitigation that helps to prevent the river from [having its river channels switch locations along its course] and aids in conveyance of water while long-term solutions are implemented is paramount,” Thomas said.
“In addition, significant recovery investments have been made and are currently in the works to rebuild the community [houses and infrastructure] after the last two back-to-back floods.”
A statement from the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said the ministry understands Halalt First Nation’s concerns about flood mitigation to keep its community and members safe.
“We’re actively working to find opportunities for funding for flood mitigation for the Halalt First Nation, and are in regular contact with the Nation,” the statement said.
“The ministry met the Halalt First Nation on June 15 about flood mitigation. Indigenous Services Canada, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Strategy, and an engineering firm also attending the meeting. We look forward to continuing discussions on what options may be available to the Nation to support these important flood mitigation projects.”
The statement said the province is currently providing funding support to the Halalt for flood recovery, including $800,000 for removing sediment and debris from a side channel that was accumulated during the 2021 atmospheric river event, and $100,000 for tree topping necessary as a recovery activity due to impacts from the event.
“The province has also provided funding through the Disaster Financial Assistance program, including $157,000 for a flooding event in 2020, and $89,000 to cover an insurance deductible for damages caused by the 2021 atmospheric river event,” the statement said.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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