A warm Mother's Day weekend, with some wet later in the day on Sunday
Mother's Day will be nice for the most part. In the later afternoon and into the night there will be the chance of rain—heavy at times.
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CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
New mapping to increase Quebec homes in flood zones by about 30%
The number of Quebec homes located in flood zones will likely increase by 30 per cent when new maps are introduced next year, the province's environment minister said Thursday. At a news conference on Quebec's new guidelines to manage flooding, Benoit Charette said the government's goal is to protect people and their properties, and to make sure residents understand the risk they're exposed to. The number of homes in flood zones, he said, should rise to 35,000 from about 25,000. "We want to make sure people have the right information about where they live," he said. "Today that's not the case because many of these [maps] are as old as 30 years, so they're not up to date." The new maps have not been published and the new framework only comes into effect in March 2026. Charette said that as of next year, the province will begin identifying flood risks on a categorical scale — low, moderate, high and very high. The existing system identifies risk on the probability that a certain level of flooding will happen in any given year. For instance, some areas are in a flooding recurrence zone of 0-20 years, which has a one in 20, or more than 5 per cent chance of flooding each year. Charette said the province will create next year a fifth risk zone, associated with homes that are located behind a "flood protection structure," such as a dike or retaining wall, that meets a set of criteria defined by the province. The government has said the new rules are necessary due to climate change, and were conceived after major flooding in 2017 and 2019 that caused an estimated total of more than $1 billion in damages. Some mayors have expressed concerns that the new maps will prevent some residents from being able to purchase flood insurance, and that values will plummet if homes are located in newly identified flood zones. They also criticized the province last year for holding consultations before publishing the new maps. Charette on Thursday struck a reassuring tone, saying most of the homes that will be added to flood zone maps will likely be in the lowest-risk categories. He said the value of homes has continued to rise, including in flood zones. "And an important element — you've heard me say it a few times over the last year — we aren't creating new flood zones through this process, we're simply identifying them," he said. Quebec estimated last year that 77,000 homes could be in flood zones, but that number has since been downgraded. The province made clear that nobody would be forced to relocate their homes under the new management plan. However, new construction will not be allowed in very high-risk zones; homes destroyed by flooding in those zones will not be permitted to be rebuilt.
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Manitoba government provides update on wildfire situation
Watch Officials report on the current status of wildfires across Manitoba, detailing affected areas and ongoing response efforts.
Globe and Mail
5 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
B.C. evacuates provincial park as Squamish wildfire continues to grow
An out-of-control wildfire near Squamish, B.C., has nearly tripled in size to 55 hectares and forced the evacuation of the nearby Alice Lake Provincial Park. The District of Squamish said increased wind activity Wednesday afternoon led to growth along the Dryden Creek wildfire's north flank. It said in a social media post that the BC Wildfire Service and Squamish Fire Rescue recommended the park's closure and an evacuation order was issued Wednesday. The post said the fire, which prompted a local state of emergency earlier this week, is not currently threatening park facilities but it is growing toward access routes and the smoke has resulted in reduced visibility. The Squamish Nation said in a separate post that it has removed all valuable items from the Alice Lake long house as a cautionary measure. In an afternoon update online, the district said that increased visibility has allowed helicopters to begin bucketing operations to fight the fire. The BC Wildfire Service said the blaze is suspected to be human caused, which has led to a police investigation and an appeal for information from the Squamish RCMP. The Mounties said in a news release that the department was informed of smoke on the hillside at the end of Tantalus Road on Monday around 5:30 p.m. But they said it is believed to have been started around 4 p.m. that day on a bike trail, so officers are asking anyone with information about the fire to contact police. The Squamish fire is one of almost 100 wildfires burning throughout B.C., most of which are in the province's northeast. In its latest update, the BC Wildfire Service said there are currently 50 wildland firefighters working alongside Squamish Fire Rescue staff to contain the Dryden Creek blaze. It said five helicopters and four airtankers have also been deployed.
