Challenges of climate change focus of B.C. government’s budget, says finance minister

VICTORIA – B.C. Finance Minister Selina Robinson says making sure communities have the resources they need to deal with the effects of climate change will be a focal point of her budget when it is released on Tuesday.

Robinson says the province was battered by forces driven by climate change over the past year, including deadly heat, wildfires and storms that caused major flooding across southern B.C.

The province is also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and an opioid overdose crisis.

She says the government plans to introduce a year-round B.C. Wildfire Service dedicated to full-time fire prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

Robinson did not directly address estimates on the financial cost of last fall's floods and mudslides in southern B.C. other than say the details will be in the budget.

Last November, Robinson forecast a budget deficit of $1.7 billion for the 2021-22 fiscal year, down from the original projection of $9.7 billion last February.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2022.