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The Town has been approved for $843,700 in funding through the Province’s Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding (DRIF) program to contribute to the Little Qualicum River Erosion Protection project. The funding will support critical erosion mitigation works along the lower Little Qualicum River to help protect the Town’s primary drinking water infrastructure and nearby properties.
The project will create instream erosion protection to reduce river flow velocities and stabilize the riverbank adjacent to the Town’s River Wellfield, which supplies approximately 90% of the community’s potable water. The project will also include habitat enhancement features to support fish and environmental health.
The project was developed with support from hydrotechnical engineers, environmental professionals, and regulatory agencies, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The detailed design plan undertaken in 2025 was funded through the Union of BC Municipalities – Disaster Risk Mitigation and Climate Adaptation program, in the amount of $125,000.
“The Little Qualicum River plays a critical role in our community, both environmentally and as the source of most of our drinking water,” said Mayor Teunis Westbroek. “This funding allows the Town to proactively protect essential infrastructure, reduce future disaster risks, and strengthen our community’s resilience to climate-driven erosion.”
"Through the DRIF program, we are helping local governments build the resilience they need to withstand increasing climate risks," said Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. "Investments like this one in Qualicum Beach protect the essential services that people and communities depend on every day and reduce the long-term costs of disaster recovery."
“Our community needs to have infrastructure ready to withstand the impacts of climate related incidents,” said Stephanie Higginson, MLA for Ladysmith–Oceanside. “This work along the Little Qualicum River will help protect the community’s water supply and support the families and businesses that rely on it every day.”
The Town has now issued tenders for both the physical works and project management services. Work is anticipated to begin in the summer of this year, in line with regulatory approvals and environmental permitting, and set for completion by the end of the year.
For more details, visit the project webpage.
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