Governments Prepare for the Worst

February 28, 2001—Earthquake in Seattle shakes Canada's west coast

If you get the feeling natural disasters are on the increase, you're right. Factors in the global trend include a growing urban population, an aging infrastructure, and a changing climate. Loss payments by governments and insurers around the world are doubling every 5 to 10 years.

According to the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, governments and insurers in Canada paid over three billion dollars in claims due to natural disasters in 1998.

In December 2000, the Quebec legislature tabled the first bill in Canada that outlines a provincial plan to increase preparedness against natural disasters. Bill 173 requires municipalities to determine their areas of risk and potential hazards, and implement a plan to correct them. It also promises provincial government resources and stipulates that towns who don't comply could face fines. Reports on the Saguenay Flood in 1996 and the ice storm in 1998 provided the basis for the legislation.

Then, in February 2001, Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced a new Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness. This agency will develop and implement a comprehensive approach to protecting Canada's critical infrastructure, and will work actively with provinces, territories and municipalities as well as the private sector.

In May 2000, the Canada Safety Council made a presentation to the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance on Canada's emergency and disaster preparedness. CSC endorsed recommendations from the Insurance Bureau of Canada and its Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction which urged government at all levels to invest in mitigation. This new office shows that Ottawa is responding with new leadership and commitment to protect Canadians from extreme events.