Speech (committee meeting)

{
    "time": "2026-02-03 15:40:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Duncan Redfearn (Chief Administrative Officer, City of Grand Forks)",
        "fr": "Duncan Redfearn (directeur administratif, City of Grand Forks)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"9138696\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Hello. My name is Duncan Redfearn. I am the chief administrative officer for the City of Grand Forks. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Mayor Baker and council send their greetings.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138697\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I would like to use this time to briefly talk about our experience, give our recommendations to the committee and provide some statistical data.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138698\" data-originallang=\"en\">In May 2018 the City of Grand Forks, B.C., along with rural communities adjacent to both the Kettle and Granby rivers, experienced an unprecedented one-in-200-year flood event. Due to a higher-than-normal spring snowpack, a rapid transition from a cool spring to high temperatures, and a large regional rain event, the city suffered catastrophic flooding. This combination of unfavourable conditions was not only a serious risk to life safety; it also compromised city infrastructure, inundated neighbourhoods and caused substantial damage to both commercial and industrial properties.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138699\" data-originallang=\"en\">In 2019 the city was awarded a disaster mitigation and adaptation fund grant in the amount of roughly $50 million, comprised of $20 million federally, $30 million provincially and an additional city contribution of approximately $5 million. Shortly after receiving the funding, the city commenced a flood mitigation program that centred around managed retreat, which, oversimplified, included substantial flood modelling, the acquisition of land and improvements, the construction of flood protection infrastructure and the return of land to the river, or flood plain naturalization. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138700\" data-originallang=\"en\">As of 2026, the city has spent $72 million. With this money, we have constructed 3,000 metres of flood protection infrastructure; purchased 90 properties, 70 of which had improvements, including houses; and returned 10 hectares back to the river. Overall, this money has been used to protect our major industrial partners and businesses, critical infrastructure and at-risk neighbourhoods from future events. Fundamentally, however, it has restored confidence in our community and provided for economic stability. Both the viability and the future of our community have been directly correlated to this program's success.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138701\" data-originallang=\"en\">I'll move now to recommendations that are based on our experience. The most important is that annual funding and support be available for communities experiencing extreme weather events moving forward. We also recommend that, as part of this funding, the policy allows for funding to be front-loaded and eligible to be used for acquiring property; and that any acquisition of land incorporates an equitable compensation framework, such as pre-flood values, additional compensation, consideration of hardship and the cost for displaced homeowners to re-enter the same market. Where allocated for the acquisition of property, it can be used for both land and improvements, which was not the case for us. Flexibility in scope is integral, as are cost centres and grant-stacking over the duration of the program. Finally, we recommend that funding be available to support the development of community capacity also, which could include project management, financial management, land use and planning, and permitting.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138702\" data-originallang=\"en\">I can provide some rough statistics to help provide additional context. Before the flood mitigation program, in a one-in-200-year event, around 800 people would require evacuation. After the program, that number has been reduced to approximately 250. We've protected $194 million in assessed value, comprised of 175 residential buildings along with 108 commercial, industrial and utility structures. Including 2018, Grand Forks has experienced four flooding events equal to or greater than a one-in-10-year flood. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138703\" data-originallang=\"en\">In addition, the total program cost increased to $72 million over the seven-year program. In order to finish our program, the province provided an additional $12 million through grant-stacking. The city contributed another $4 million over and above the first $5 million. As a result of additional compensation and hardship formulas, the city did pay an additional $2.3 million, but we achieved 95% voluntary acquisition. To provide some perspective, the City of Grand Forks requisitions a little over $4 million annually. Typically, we manage a little over $12 million as our annual budget. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138704\" data-originallang=\"en\">I could go on, but I'll stop here. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138705\" data-originallang=\"en\">Thank you.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"9138696\" data-originallang=\"en\">Bonjour. Je m\u2019appelle Duncan Redfearn. Je suis le directeur administratif de la Ville de Grand Forks. Je vous remercie de me donner l\u2019occasion de m\u2019adresser \u00e0 vous aujourd\u2019hui. Le maire Baker et le conseil municipal vous transmettent leurs salutations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138697\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Je voudrais profiter de cette occasion pour vous parler bri\u00e8vement de notre exp\u00e9rience, vous faire part de nos recommandations et vous pr\u00e9senter quelques donn\u00e9es statistiques.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138698\" data-originallang=\"en\">En mai 2018, la ville de Grand Forks, en Colombie-Britannique, ainsi que les collectivit\u00e9s rurales adjacentes aux rivi\u00e8res Kettle et Granby, ont connu une inondation sans pr\u00e9c\u00e9dent, qui ne se produit qu\u2019une fois tous les 200 ans. En raison d\u2019un manteau neigeux printanier plus \u00e9lev\u00e9 que la normale, d\u2019une transition rapide entre un printemps frais et des temp\u00e9ratures \u00e9lev\u00e9es et de fortes pr\u00e9cipitations dans la r\u00e9gion, la ville a subi des inondations catastrophiques. Cette combinaison de conditions d\u00e9favorables repr\u00e9sentait non seulement un risque grave pour la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 des personnes, mais elle compromettait \u00e9galement les infrastructures municipales, inondait les quartiers et causait des dommages importants aux propri\u00e9t\u00e9s commerciales et industrielles.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138699\" data-originallang=\"en\">En 2019, la ville a re\u00e7u une subvention d\u2019environ 50 millions de dollars au titre du Fonds d\u2019att\u00e9nuation et d\u2019adaptation en mati\u00e8re de catastrophes, dont 20 millions provenaient du f\u00e9d\u00e9ral, 30 millions du provincial, en plus d\u2019environ 5 millions de la ville. Peu apr\u00e8s avoir re\u00e7u le financement, la ville a lanc\u00e9 un programme d\u2019att\u00e9nuation des inondations ax\u00e9 sur le retrait g\u00e9r\u00e9, qui, pour simplifier, comprenait une mod\u00e9lisation pouss\u00e9e des crues, l\u2019acquisition et l\u2019am\u00e9lioration de terrains, la construction d\u2019infrastructures de protection contre les inondations et la restitution de terrains \u00e0 la rivi\u00e8re, ou la naturalisation des terres inondables.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138700\" data-originallang=\"en\">En 2026, la ville aura d\u00e9pens\u00e9 72 millions de dollars. Gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 cet argent, nous avons construit 3 000 m\u00e8tres d\u2019infrastructure de protection contre les inondations, achet\u00e9 90 propri\u00e9t\u00e9s, dont 70 ont fait l\u2019objet d\u2019am\u00e9liorations, y compris des maisons, et rendu 10 hectares \u00e0 la rivi\u00e8re. Dans l\u2019ensemble, cet argent a \u00e9t\u00e9 utilis\u00e9 pour prot\u00e9ger nos principaux partenaires industriels et nos entreprises, les infrastructures essentielles et les quartiers \u00e0 risque contre de futurs \u00e9v\u00e9nements. Mais surtout, ces mesures ont permis de restaurer la confiance dans notre communaut\u00e9 et d\u2019assurer la stabilit\u00e9 \u00e9conomique. La viabilit\u00e9 et l\u2019avenir de notre communaut\u00e9 ont \u00e9t\u00e9 directement attribuables \u00e0 la r\u00e9ussite de ce programme.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138701\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je vais maintenant formuler des recommandations fond\u00e9es sur notre exp\u00e9rience. La plus importante est que les communaut\u00e9s confront\u00e9es \u00e0 des ph\u00e9nom\u00e8nes m\u00e9t\u00e9orologiques extr\u00eames puissent b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier d\u2019un financement et d\u2019un soutien annuels \u00e0 l\u2019avenir. Nous recommandons \u00e9galement que, dans le cadre de ce financement, la politique permette un financement anticip\u00e9 et que les fonds puissent \u00eatre utilis\u00e9s pour l\u2019acquisition de biens immobiliers; et que toute acquisition de terrain int\u00e8gre un cadre de compensation \u00e9quitable, tel que les valeurs avant l\u2019inondation, une compensation suppl\u00e9mentaire, la prise en compte des difficult\u00e9s et le co\u00fbt pour les propri\u00e9taires d\u00e9plac\u00e9s de r\u00e9int\u00e9grer le m\u00eame march\u00e9. Lorsqu\u2019il est allou\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019acquisition de biens immobiliers, il peut \u00eatre utilis\u00e9 \u00e0 la fois pour les terrains et les am\u00e9liorations, ce qui n\u2019a pas \u00e9t\u00e9 le cas pour nous. La flexibilit\u00e9 dans le champ d\u2019application est essentielle, tout comme les centres de co\u00fbts et le cumul des subventions pendant toute la dur\u00e9e du programme. Enfin, nous recommandons que des fonds soient \u00e9galement disponibles pour soutenir le d\u00e9veloppement des capacit\u00e9s communautaires, ce qui pourrait inclure la gestion de projets, la gestion financi\u00e8re, l\u2019am\u00e9nagement et l\u2019utilisation des sols, et l\u2019octroi de permis.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138702\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je peux vous fournir quelques chiffres approximatifs pour vous aider \u00e0 mieux comprendre le contexte. Avant le programme d\u2019att\u00e9nuation des inondations, dans le cas d\u2019un \u00e9v\u00e9nement qui ne se produit qu\u2019une fois tous les 200 ans, environ 800 personnes devaient \u00eatre \u00e9vacu\u00e9es. Apr\u00e8s le programme, ce nombre a \u00e9t\u00e9 r\u00e9duit \u00e0 environ 250. Nous avons prot\u00e9g\u00e9 une valeur \u00e9valu\u00e9e \u00e0 194 millions de dollars, ce qui comprend 175 immeubles r\u00e9sidentiels ainsi que 108 structures commerciales, industrielles et de services publics. En comprenant l\u2019ann\u00e9e 2018, Grand Forks a connu quatre inondations \u00e9quivalentes ou sup\u00e9rieures \u00e0 une inondation tous les 10 ans.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138703\" data-originallang=\"en\">De plus, le co\u00fbt total du programme est pass\u00e9 \u00e0 72 millions de dollars sur les sept ann\u00e9es. Afin de mener \u00e0 bien notre programme, la province a fourni 12 millions de dollars suppl\u00e9mentaires gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 un cumul de subventions. La ville a contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 hauteur de 4 millions de dollars suppl\u00e9mentaires, en plus des 5 premiers millions. Gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 des formules d\u2019indemnit\u00e9s de difficult\u00e9 suppl\u00e9mentaires, la ville a pay\u00e9 2,3 millions de dollars suppl\u00e9mentaires, mais nous avons atteint 95 % d\u2019acquisition volontaire. Pour mettre les choses en perspective, les demandes de la Ville de Grand Forks s\u2019\u00e9l\u00e8vent \u00e0 un peu plus de 4 millions de dollars par ann\u00e9e. Habituellement, notre budget annuel est d\u2019un peu plus de 12 millions de dollars.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138704\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je pourrais continuer, mais je vais m\u2019arr\u00eater ici. Je me ferai un plaisir de r\u00e9pondre \u00e0 vos questions.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9138705\" data-originallang=\"en\">Merci.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/committees/environment/45-1/23/duncan-redfearn-1/",
    "politician_url": null,
    "politician_membership_url": null,
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "13331425",
    "document_url": "/committees/environment/45-1/23/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fcommittees%2Fenvironment%2F45-1%2F23%2F"
    }
}