Thank you.
I'll continue with this. It seems to be a favourite topic.
There were major floods in Alberta of late and, more than 30 years ago, in the community I lived in, n the river flats in Edmonton on the North Saskatchewan River. Since that big flood, they've required any new housing to have the furnace above—not in—the basement. There are a lot of simple things that can be done to reduce costs in flood damage.
I noted after the big flood in Calgary and Canmore that there's this conflict that goes on. The mayors say, “Well, people really want to live along the rivers, and we get a high tax base.” But then I have to subsidize when they're flooded out. I think people are starting to take a closer look at this.
I am wondering if, at the federal level.... For example, we give out aid, right? Eventually the province or municipality will come to the federal government and say “disaster assistance”. Isn't it time, given the fact that we know that we have climate change, that unpredictable things can happen...? We know that there have been developments in flood plains, and we know that new developments shouldn't happen in flood plains. Isn't it time for the federal government to be putting conditions on it and saying that you—the province, the municipality—did the flood plain mapping, and you didn't do any measures, so you don't qualify for relief and you're going to have to bear the cost?
Isn't it time? We talk about it, but isn't it time that certain levels of government got serious about this? It's like a pre-existing condition. Insurers won't pay you if you didn't identify the pre-existing condition.