Quebec solidaire calls for a fund dedicated to extreme weather events

City workers clears fallen branches Thursday, April 6, 2023 after an ice storm left over a million customers without power in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

The Quebec government must create a special fund dedicated to responding to emergencies after a natural disaster or extreme weather event, argues Quebec solidaire.

The MNA for Verdun, Alejandra Zaga Mendez, made a public statement on the matter Sunday, a little over a week after a major ice storm plunged hundreds of thousands of Quebecers into darkness, some for several days.

Zaga Mendez, who is responsible for Quebec solidaire's environmental policy, says such severe weather events are bound to happen more and more often due to climate change.

According to her, "it is not normal that in 2023, Quebec has not yet established an emergency fund specifically dedicated to climate disasters", which would be used, among other things, to help municipalities, community organizations and small businesses that suffer losses during such disasters.

During last year's election campaign, Quebec solidaire proposed investing $500 million to launch the fund, which would increase yearly depending on its use.

Zaga Mendez, who holds a PhD in sustainable development, believes that Quebec should follow the lead of British Columbia, which established such a fund in 2017. The province added $180 million to the fund earlier this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 16, 2023.