By Mohamed Adam, Ottawa Citizen, May 1, 2019
Premier Doug Ford came to town last week bearing hugs and good wishes for flood victims, but not what really matters: a well-considered long-term plan to confront the challenge of our time that is climate change.
At the same time that Ford is showing solidarity with people who are battling to save their homes and livelihoods, he is cutting funding to the very agencies charged with flood management and protecting communities. The budgets of conservation authorities, which, among other duties, monitor water levels and help communities prepare for and protect themselves from floods, is being cut in half. And strangely, Natural Resources Minister and MPP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke John Yakabuski is toeing the government line and defending the cuts. Rising flood waters in Yakabuski’s Pembroke exceeded historic levels seen in 2017, but the minister says the budget cuts represent only eight per cent of conservation authorities’ funding and won’t affect their ability to do the job. Yeah, right.
https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/adam-even-with-floods-doug-fords-government-isnt-serious-about-climate-change