B.C. Budget does not “Secure the Future” for the Lower Fraser

February 18, 2026

The Lower Fraser Floodplains Coalition (LFFC) is deeply frustrated that the provincial budget once again fails to deliver the sustained, regional-scale investments needed to reduce long-term flood risk in the Lower Mainland. Despite admitting that escalating threats from disasters like flooding, wildfires and landslides pose serious risks to B.C.’s economic outlook, the province has decided to roll the dice and ignore the problems. In the Lower Fraser, which has seen 3 major flood events in the last 5 years, communities lack the tools and funding to build regional resilience.

“Why is the BC Flood Strategy not yet funded?” asks Tyrone McNeill, Chair of the Emergency Planning Secretariat. “We know the Province faces a projected deficit of $11.4 billion but investment in flood resilience must be treated as prudent financial management, not discretionary spending.” Flood risk in the Lower Fraser is rising as climate impacts collide with decades of floodplain development. Fiscal policy must keep pace.

The Lower Mainland is one of British Columbia’s (and Canada’s) most economically important regions. It has nationally significant trade corridors, diversified manufacturing and industrial development, highly productive agricultural lands, a large population, and salmon-bearing ecosystems foundational to First Nations rights and coastal economies. Flood disruptions reverberate across provincial and national supply chains, affecting food security, business continuity, and economic stability.

This Budget does not include any new money for flood mitigation. Rather, the Province reannounced one-off projects funded in previous budgets.  Short-term, patchwork funding cannot resolve system-level vulnerabilities that span watersheds and jurisdictions. Band-aid solutions do not secure community safety and well-being. Coordinated, regional-scale investment in flood resilience is needed to reduce accumulating liability for recovery costs. Every dollar invested in disaster risk reduction can save $7 in recovery costs. This investment can also be an economic driver, creating jobs, renewing infrastructure, restoring vital ecosystems and supporting innovation. 

It’s a mistake for the Province to look away from flood risks in the Lower Fraser. Choosing not to invest now does not eliminate the cost. It defers it — at a higher price — to future provincial budgets and to the communities most exposed to escalating flood impacts.