Ref: 4984361203924 FEB Z8 2014

His Worship Mayor City of Abbotsford 32315 South Fraser Way Abbotsford, V2T lW7

Dear Mayor Banman:

Thank you for yourletter of December 18, 2013, and meeting of February 4, 2014, regarding your request for funding, to address flooding issues and concerns in the Fraser River upstream of Beharrell Road in Abbotsford and the Matsqui Dike.

We are pleased to confirm that the City of Abbotsford can proceed, as requested, with erosion protection works on the Fraser River to mitigate the growth of the new Erosion Arc located upstream of Beharrell Road near the Matsqui Dike. The works will be funded by the City of Abbotsford with the province supporting the project through the reallocation of $ 1.218 million from the unconstructed 2007 Ridgedale Bank Armouring project. In regard to seeking additional funding for this project, the province also urges the City of Abbotsford to approach other stakeholders or benefactors for potential funding such as Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada or Metro Vancouver.

Emergency Management BC's, Flood Protection Program (FPP), is the province's only mechanism to provide funding to local governments for flood protection and mitigation works. As you know, the FPP is application based, and the final application intake to the program closed in May 2013. Neither of the projects you are requesting funding for were included within the last application intake. Please note that the 2013 intake will fully subscribe the FPP and no additional funding is anticipated at this time. Accordingly, your request for an additional $2.2 million to undertake the Ridgedale Bank Armouring project cannot be considered at this time as it was not included within the last application intake and funding is not available. The province is currently consulting with the federal government on a new National Disaster Mitigation Program; however, details of the program have not been confirmed. Should a new program be made available, local authorities will be informed of any new opportunities for funding.

The topic of erosion mitigation is complex, and the technical and scientific opinions regarding the appropriate measures to address erosion can be contradictory. Erosion is a common and natural process that takes place across British Columbia. The potential magnitude of a comprehensive erosion control program by the province is fiscally prohibitive. I would like to His Worship Mayor Bruce Banman note that the province is willing to work with jurisdictions on a long-term plan to help identify areas of strategic importance and vulnerability due to exceptional erosion. I urge you to continue to work with the technical experts at the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and with representatives from Emergency Management BC at the Ministry of Justice.

Thank you again for writing.

Suzanne Anton QC Steve Thomson Attorney General Minister of Forests, Lands Minister of Justice and Natural Resource Operations

Steve Thomson Minister pc: Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade & Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway Honourable Michael de Jong, Minister of Finance Honourable Pat Pimm, Minister of Agriculture Randy Kamp, MP, Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission Mark Strahl, MP, Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon Marc Dalton, MLA, Maple Ridge-Mission Simon Gibson, MLA, Abbotsford-Mission John Martin, MLA, Chilliwack , MLA, Laurie Throness, MLA, Chilliwack-Hope Mayor Sharon Gaetz, City of Chilliwack Chief Alice McKay, Matsqui First Nation Chief Dalton Silver, Sumas First Nation Chief Lincoln Douglas, Cheam First Nation Greg Moore, Chair, Metro Vancouver Board Raymond Louie, Vice Chair, Metro Vancouver Board Paul Gipps, Chief Administrative Officer, Fraser Valley Regional District Denise Alexis, Executive Leadership Facilitator, Cheam First Nation Brian Jones, Economic Development Manager, Seabird Island First Nation