CBC News link: Multi-million dollar dike upgrade to protect London from ‘one in 250 year’ flood
On Wednesday, federal and municipal levels of government announced they would commit a total of $25 million to rebuild aging sections of the west London dike over the next decade. These sections run north from Blackfriars Bridge to Oxford Street West and west from the Forks of the Thames to Cavendish Park.
Infrastructure Canada will kick in up to $10 million for the project through the federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, and the city of London will make up the difference with up to an additional $15 million in funding. The Upper Thames River Conservation authority will manage the project in partnership with the city.
The need for infrastructure improvements has only grown more significant as a result of climate change, according to Marco Mendicino, parliamentary secretary to the federal minister of infrastructure and communities, who was in London for the announcement.
“The effects of these extreme weather events don’t go away overnight,” said Mendicino. “It takes time to rebuild and to repair the damage that can take a major toll.”