BC's Floods Are the Result of Government Negligence

Not an Act of God


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Demand Action

As British Columbians watch the waters rise yet again—forcing families from their homes, severing highways, and threatening our food supply—we are hearing the same tired refrain: this is an unfortunate "Act of God."

We are told these atmospheric rivers are freak weather events, unpredictable and unmanageable.

It is time to call this what it really is: a lie.

The disaster unfolding across our province is not an "Act of God."

It is the direct consequence of years of reckless decisions by our government and a stubborn unwillingness to heed expert warnings.

Stripped Landscapes

Our landscapes have been stripped of their natural defenses, leaving communities vulnerable to the very disasters we are now facing.

Exploited Watersheds

The province treats our watersheds as endless resource extraction zones, ignoring their critical role as life-support systems for our environment and communities.

We are reaping the whirlwind of environmental destruction caused by industrial exploitation, directly contrasting the resilience natural ecosystems once provided.

The Pattern Is Undeniable

Reviewing the devastation, the pattern is undeniable.

1

1990

The pattern of flooding intensifies.

2

2021

Catastrophic floods

3

2025

We are seeing watershed disasters again 2025.

The science is clear: when you strip-mine the forests that act as nature's sponges, clear-cutting vast swaths of our headwaters, you remove the land's ability to absorb rain.

When you allow the province's natural infrastructure to decay despite being fully briefed on the accelerating climate crisis, you are not "managing risk". You are manufacturing disaster.

A Public Subsidy for Private Destruction

For decades, industrial users have been given a free pass to degrade our watersheds. Forestry, mining, fracking, and large-scale industrial operations have profited from our land while paying pennies on the dollar for the water they use—rates that are among the lowest in Canada.

These wealthy corporate hands - mostly foreign-controlled - extract the wealth and leave British Columbians to foot the billion-dollar bill for the cleanup.

Companies like Rio Tinto Alcan, Anglo American, Glencore Switzerland, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation are not here for charity, they are here because of the billions of dollars they can make off our resources. Good for them. But it's the job of our government to ensure we don't get left holding the bag. Like in the case of the Fording River mine.

This is a public subsidy for private destruction, and it must end.

If the government wants to convince us they are serious about public safety, they need to stop blaming the weather and start fixing the system.

We cannot sandbag our way out of bad policy.

Here is the path forward:

Real Regulation

First, we need real regulation. The "wild west" era of industrial access to our watersheds must end. Developers and industrial users must be held accountable for the damage they do to the hydrological integrity of our province. If your operation increases flood risk for a downstream community, you should not be allowed to proceed. Period.

And if disaster does unfold due to your actions, heads should roll. If an individual destroys private property, they can be jailed.

If a foreign corporation destroys our public watersheds, why are we not seeing jail time for the executives in charge?

Fair Pricing

Second, it is time for fair pricing. The BC NDP government charges the LOWEST industrial water rates in the country. It is insulting that BC taxpayers are draining their savings to repair flood damage while major industries pay virtually nothing for the water they consume and the watersheds they impact. We need a fair rate for commercial and industrial water use that reflects the true value of this resource and the cost of maintaining it.

Watershed Security Fund

Finally, we need a properly provisioned, dedicated Watershed Security Fund.

The B.C. Watershed Security Coalition has correctly identified that a $5 billion fund is necessary to do the real work: restoring clear-cut slopes, upgrading 20th-century infrastructure for 21st-century storms, and empowering local watershed boards to make decisions for their communities.


The "act of God" excuse is expired.



BC communities today face an existential threat: man-made crisis fuelled by government negligence.







It is time to make the wreckers pay for the repairs, and to secure our watersheds before the next "unprecedented" storm washes us away.