Thank you to Mr. Hardie for bringing forward the study. For me as a resident of British Columbia and one who's representing the constituents of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, it's clear this has had an important impact on British Columbia this year.
I appreciate the information that's been brought forward. I have a bunch a questions. Clearly, I won't have time to get to all of them, but the first thing I want to ask about is when we talk about solutions and building flood mitigation infrastructure, we often talk about intensifying what we've already built with human-engineered grey solutions. Alternatively, in my riding, the city of Nanaimo has done a lot of work to make sure that we consider the natural infrastructure we have around us. For example, Buttertubs Marsh Conservation Area is evaluated as being worth $10 million to $15 million as part of our storm surge infrastructure while providing a habitat for birds and an entire natural, vibrant ecosystem.
As we're building from this extreme flooding event, I'm wondering how the government is helping communities ensure that natural infrastructure is prioritized and enhanced as we try to balance salmon populations with the protections for our communities.