| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/10/2007 9:24:15 AM | | There has been a lot in the news lately about the good possibility of huge flooding in the Lower Mainland area. If you look up a map of the flood plain in our area, the amount of land it encompasses is large. Who should pay for this natural disaster if it occurs...the people that chose to take the knowing risk of buying there? Or the government who allowed the areas to be developed? | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/10/2007 9:31:10 AM | Well, we live there so the government really didn't/doesn't have much choice in development is said areas. So that being said, I think that the costs should be split.
On the other hand, its mid May now and the temps are around 15 degrees. And in other places in canada you have 30 degrees and smog alerts. So in this persons op the big flood won't be happening this year any time soon.
But watch, now that I've said that, it'll happen in the next two weeks. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/10/2007 10:01:55 AM | I think Fisheries should pay for it out of there budget money ,they are closed minded with there heads up there ass about killing fish and cause of decline in the population ..re dredging the river ,,the government backed fisheries with all of there decisions ..why aren't politicians or fisheries looking at the problem with the Indians who are helping themselves to what ever swims past .we have to many tree hunger candy ass gutless mom's boy wonders running things who are all hot air and just good actors . there were no engineers working on the problem until we found out about the threat and it might be to little to late .It isn't all the new development areas that will get hit the worst ,,its old areas like matsqui village (no flood insurance there) and farms in the valley who have all paid into the dike program for years now.
yes the snow melt could flood the Fraser valley this year ,it is one of the highest snow levels in the mountains on record and its going to melt,looks like emergency response is where they have decided to put there money ..ya make them look better ,,point pole ..,,some cash spent on the dike work in progress everywhere ..they are covering there ass now ,,lets hope its enough .. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/10/2007 12:45:55 PM | | I think its more than just saying that the governments allowed the development to take place. When they did that they also theoretically established systems to protect the developments. So what about being responsible for maintaining the systems established to prevent or at least reduce the damage from these natural disasters? Surely the government should have been spending more of our hard earned tax dollars on a regular basis to maintain the dyke systems, etc. As far as I can tell, that was one of the greatest problems from the flooding in New Orleans after Katrina - the US government had cut the funding to maintain the systems in place for what seemed forever which then made New Orleans vulnerable to the flooding. Haven't our governments pretty much done the same? | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/10/2007 4:06:26 PM | people wanted to move close to the water cuz it's all scenic and beautiful, and so forth. But when you're on the side of a river, you should be well aware about the possibilities of floods occuring. They should suffer the consequences of their own actions!
True!
there are possibilities of almost anything happening anywhere, but when it's a NATURAL cause, and there is knowledge about the possibility of a disaster happening, the home owners should be at fault!! I dont wanna hafta pay for some guys house on a cliff that got wiped out in a landslide! Just as I dont want my tax dollars increased to pay for someone's house that got wiped out by a sudden flood, when they are living at sea level!! | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/10/2007 4:42:21 PM | No one forced the eventual owner of 'flood-plain' property to purchase said property.
A responsible real estate agent probably even pointed out the possibility to potential purchasers.
Dredging a river doesn't reduce or increase its flood potential either.
Building and maintaining a dike system with its attendant costs ... one would think that should be borne by those who will benefit? For the unincorporated municipalities, that would be the Province and for the more organised, it should be a budgetary item funded through the annual collection of a municipal property tax.
Filling sandbags is a good volunteer outdoor activity and for those who insist on leaving 'stuff' to the last minute, don't forget your pictures, pets and medication! | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/10/2007 6:48:57 PM | It is beyond my comprehension why anyone would build and live in a flood plain except for ducks geese, beavers .
Those in the ministry of environment who release flood plain land for commercial or residential use should pay, personally liable!!!! They knowingly allow people and property to come into harms way when it is part of their responsibility to prevent it.
For some strange reasons the flood plains are amongst the fastest developing areas while any environmental issues for the protection of this dwindling resource falls by the wayside. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/10/2007 10:38:01 PM | Historically the majority of flooding in BC happens in mid to late May through to June, so anyone who thinks that if it hasn't happened yet it isn't going to is sorely mistaken.
Building permits and land development is not actually done by the Ministry of Environment, that falls under the jurisdiction of local governments and regional districts. Where you pay your property taxes is the same place that issued the permit to build.
Every local authority is mandated to have an Emergency Plan, which includes a Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Analysis of their area. In that planning they are supposed to be taking measures to mitigate and plan for response to any event either human induced or natural that their communities are vulnerable to.
Sadly, that is not the approach that most civil governments take, why you ask? Well lets see, combination of tax payers moaning and complaining about increases to property taxes to ensure their communities are resilient and safe and a provincial government that is always there to pick up the slack where the local one falls off.
It is amazing how many people moan and gripe about "big brother" and how the "government" is always in their faces and then they turn around and complain that the same agencies won't pay for and support them when something they were warned about happens.
It is every-one's responsibility to ensure that they are safe...at least that is where it begins. So if you live in a flood plain, you best have your own personal plan in place for protection of yourself and your property. Same can be said for wherever you live. We need to educate ourselves, make our own emergency plans and action them.
If ever there was a significant event happen you can rest assured that the "government" is not going to be able to take care of everyone who is affected. The people who will make it will be the ones who are prepared. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/11/2007 1:10:16 AM | | The ministry of the enviroment should have the authority to tell localovernments they can't grant the permits. Then again contractors should have the common sense of where to build too. H0meowners just don't know no better. Hopefully if and when it does happen people won 't be dumb enough to build there again. Always could live in the Carribean or Tornado Alley. It's partially a man-made disaster-scenario cause we caused the global warming that ......-up the envirioment. The breakdown of disaster relief comes from the levels of Govrrnment correspondingly responsible for not regulating global warming. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/11/2007 7:40:22 AM | the flood area isn't the newly developed area ,,its all the existing local farms and the old village of matsqui and clayburn village ,long established areas and they all pay into a dike maintenance program ,they just didn't see anything done for the money the past few umpteen years.its not new development beside the river .dredging the river certainly would have helped but fisheries wouldn't permit it .do we need the local farms to stay in operation ?some would say no they go to the super store or they shouldn't farm there .If you cant farm in the ALR Fraser valley flood plain where do we farm ..?
when it goes under water take a look at all the dead cows , chickens and crop damage caused ,not the new home on the waterfront destroyed because there wernt any built along the dike . | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/11/2007 8:34:21 AM | | Everyone always wants someone else to pay for their poor choices in life. I say if you wanna play near the water, you have to suffer the concequences. No one forced them to live there. It was their choice to do so. Why should my tax dollars pay for others poor choices. I thought that's what insurance was for. If I drive a car I pay insurance for it. If I don't drive a car.........well you get he idea I'm sure. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/11/2007 2:07:51 PM | this is a local event that will affect all of us in the lower mainland and its to bad no people liveing in the flood zone have come forward to speek and educate us with the real and true facts about life in the fraser valley ,how long they have lived there ,cross boarder flooding and the fraser river fear of flood this spring .....i also eat produce grown in the fraser valley that may be destroyed ....chicken farms ..no corn this year or i will **** about the price ,,lost produce will affect us a lot ..it can and should be avoided .it is a natural disaster and many cant get insurance ..if they could your rate would be through the roof as we all would be paying higher ,,this has nothing to do with new developments..
belgarion i dont like to pay for the sky train when i get gas but i do .. i drive ...get the idea .. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/11/2007 2:54:56 PM | Hate to be the one to broaden the horizons, but the flooding affects a whole lot more of the province than just the FV. Granted, lost crops and livestock is certainly a concern, although given so many months of advanced warning, lots can be done to mitigate losses and damage.
I honestly can't imagine anyone whose livelihood is dependant on their land would just be going ahead with planting etc, with such imminent threat.
There is a lot going on in an attempt to reduce the impact of the flooding. This is an area prone to flooding that floods quite frequently. Yes this is predicted to be one of the worst years in recorded history, however, there is a lot being done and a lot being provided to try and minimize the damage. Much more than ever before.
I am sure that you can check with the Regional District or local governments and get out there and volunteer to help with sand bagging or other efforts if you want to. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/11/2007 4:35:58 PM | Good farm land is usually good because of the soil which was deposited at one time by the river. Nowwwwwwww, think about that for just one minute. That's right. The RIVER was there before, and it will be there again. Only because humans got involved do people live on flood plains. Those dykes that are built were not put up by beavers.
Richmond was and really still is'nt land, other than huge quanities of sand that HUMANS brought in so that buildings could be built. Yet, Richmond is still growing to a degree and will be bursting it's seams soon. I'm wondering where they are all going to live when "IT" happens????
I won't carry on with the examples of the people and developments in Pitt Meadows, parts of Maple Ridge, Fort Langley, but they are all there to see and look at. And people are still paying silly amounts of money for homes that are basically "floating" on imported sand to "make" their land for those homes. I would say to all people that maybe do a little homework on where your new place will be before you shell out those big$$$$$$ for the pretty views, etc. Like maybe, for one, check the elevation of the "land" you are on. Then check your history books, because even thou we wish for different, mother nature tends to repeat itself,,,,,,,,,sooner or later. So none of this should come as no surprise to anyone.
Now,,,, I gotta go get some of my boats and tubes ready for some rentals that will be coming up in the next week or two. | |
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| B.C.'s Impending Natural Disaster - Who should pay?
Posted: 5/11/2007 5:10:48 PM | It doesn't matter who pays, just please pay attention to the evacuation warnings and evacuate when you are asked to do so, yes asked -- nobody can make you leave we just can't promise you we will come back to get you plain and simple. There will be a three day warning before the river goes over the dikes BUT no warning if a dike breaches. So please make our jobs a little easier by making plans to stay with friends or family or you will end up on a gym floor somewhere with a few hundred other people. Yes we will risk our lives to save you but I personally would rather not have to because I would rather sit at home with my son.
Thankyou
Al | |
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