Nova Scotia

Halifax to seek federal flood prevention money for 10 sites

The municipality has come up with a list of 30 areas with ongoing issues, including sites in Fall River, Eastern Passage, Dartmouth, Sackville, Bedford and downtown Halifax.

Municipality is doing flood risk assessments in areas with ongoing issues

Several houses in Bedford were surrounded by water after flooding in December 2014. Halifax is trying to get federal money to prevent similar floods in the future. (Craig Paisley/CBC)

Halifax wants federal help with some of its flood-prone areas.

The municipality has come up with a list of 30 areas with ongoing issues, including sites in Fall River, Eastern Passage, Dartmouth, Sackville, Bedford and downtown Halifax.

"The list came from thousands of complaints phoned in over the years," said Evan Teasdale, a development engineer with the municipality.

The federal government set up the National Disaster Mitigation Program after the severe floods experienced by Calgary and other parts of southern Alberta in 2013.

Evan Teasdale, a development engineer with the municipality, says 30 sites will be assessed for flood risk before staff apply for federal funding. (Pam Berman/CBC)

As Halifax eyes federal help, Cape Breton is facing flood woes of its own. Cleanup and damage assessment has begun in the Sydney area following the massive rainstorm on Monday.

Halifax has also been hit by a series of flood-related issues in recent years. For example, heavy rains regularly create a small lake in front of the Dartmouth General Hospital on Pleasant Street, and the Sackville River overflows, creating problems for Bedford and Sackville.

Another view of the flooded Drohan home. (CBC)

Halifax to pick 10 sites

In order to qualify for the federal program, Halifax has to have an assessment done to federal standards. To do so, the municipality put out a call for a consultant to review the 30 sites. That review will recommend the top 10 sites in need of repairs.

"That could be larger culverts, more drainage channels, regrading," Teasdale said. "It could be a vast number of things."

Halifax hopes to apply for funding by 2018, he said. The cost of the each project will determine how many applications are sent in.

The federal program has a total of $200 million available. It wraps up in 2020.  

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pam Berman

Reporter

Pam Berman is CBC Nova Scotia's municipal affairs reporter. She's been a journalist for almost 35 years and has covered Halifax regional council since 1997. That includes four municipal elections, 19 budgets and countless meetings. Story ideas can be sent to [email protected]