B.C. farmers who received the lion’s share of wildfire devastation will be receiving a boost from the federal and provincial government.
Cabinet ministers announced $20 million will be provided – split 60:40 between the two levels of government – to assist producers most heavily impacted by the fires this season, following a meeting in Vancouver Tuesday afternoon.
The funding is part of the 2017 Canada-B.C. wildfires recovery initiative, following what has shaped up to be an unseasonably dry summer in the province.
Members of the committee on federal recovery efforts for the wildfires raging across the province met to review current evacuations, impacts on First Nations communities and the lumber and agricultural sector.
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“Our government stands with producers who have withstood the wide-reaching damage caused by the wildfires in B.C.,” federal agricultural minister Lawrence MacAulay said in a statement. “We remain committed to working with producers and the province to ensure we meet the needs of those who have been affected and help them get back to business as soon as possible.”
There have been 1,207 wildfires this year across the province, burning 1,148,928 hectares at the cost of $464 million.
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