The provincial government has introduced Ontario's Flooding Strategy.
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry John Yakabuski said it will increase public awareness, to ensure everyone is prepared and equipped to respond to the devastating effects of flooding.
He said they can't prevent flooding in Ontario, so instead hope to ensure the province is more resilient to it.
The strategy will include updated flood plain mapping and increased access to flood-related information. It proposes to strengthen provincial policy to ensure development is kept out of flood or erosion-prone areas.
The province said it will improve response to municipal requests for assistance and will offer state of the art technology to enhance flood preparedness and invest in Flood Risk Reduction by working with the federal government to increase investment in critical areas like mapping and infrastructure.
"We're listening to people from across the province who have been affected by flooding, and that is why we're taking a whole-of-government approach and calling on the federal government, our municipal partners, conservation authorities, industry and Indigenous communities to work with us to implement the actions contained in this strategy," stated Yakabuski.
The government's flood strategy was informed by public consultations and the expert advice of Doug McNeil, Ontario's special advisor on flooding.
"Building healthier and safer communities is our top priority and that's why we're taking action to strengthen the province's preparedness for flooding," added Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure and MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. "We'll continue to speak with Ontarians and we'll keep learning more as the strategy is implemented."
