Thank you.
Over the past four decades, the number of catastrophic events has skyrocketed. Canada went from around 38 catastrophic events from 1985 to 1994 to double that, at about 78, between 2005 and 2014. Given the increased rise of CO2 and climate pollution, we have now doubled those catastrophic events in Canada in the last decade to about 133, and 44 of those were water-related. Canadians are faced with these events every day, and the most vulnerable people in our society have to bear the costs.
I've seen these impacts myself, in my own riding. This past summer, in Anjou, basements were flooded. There was a flash flood. I think Mr. Feltmate mentioned that the average cost of a flooded basement was $54,000. Given the frequency of these flooding events, a lot of homeowners are unable to insure their basements. It adds to the housing crisis that some of my constituents are feeling in Anjou. We're seeing that the annual cost of flooding is projected to hit $1.8 billion next year.
I have a question for Mrs. Penwarden. Would you agree that with the rise of climate change, Canadians are paying a greater price to adapt to catastrophic events?