Alberta flood mitigation fund increased to $116M

The province is boosting its spending to protect southern Alberta communities from flooding with $116 million being allocated for flood mitigation projects.

The first approved projects will cost the province $37 million and will include five sites in Calgary, two in HighRiver, one in Medicine Hat and several upstream of Calgary.

"It was very obvious that we had some erosion along riverbanks that were causing some challenges to the rebuilding of those communities and that's what we're really focused on right now," said Kyle Fawcett, associate minister for reconstruction.

The work will be paid for by the province but will actually be done by the municipalities.

Projects that have been deemed most critical will be dealt with first.

"The program is set up to encourage those projects that can be done in order to better protect us for this spring," said Martin Foy, an official with the province's environmental department.

"Priority is being given to that work that can be done, that needs to be done and can be done by this spring."

The latest project in Calgary repairing erosion along the north bank of the Bow River near Memorial Drive and Third Street N.W. will get underway next week. That work is expected to be done by the end of January.