Halifax to seek federal flood prevention money for 10 sites

Halifax wants federal help with some of its flood-prone areas.

The municipality has come up with a list of 30 areas with ongoing issues, including sites in Fall River, Eastern Passage, Dartmouth, Sackville, Bedford and downtown Halifax.

"The list came from thousands of complaints phoned in over the years," said Evan Teasdale, a development engineer with the municipality.

The federal government set up the National Disaster Mitigation Program after the severe floods experienced by Calgary and other parts of southern Alberta in 2013.

• Heavy rain in Halifax causes flooding throughout the area

As Halifax eyes federal help, Cape Breton is facing flood woes of its own. Cleanup and damage assessment has begun in the Sydney area following the massive rainstorm on Monday.

Halifax has also been hit by a series of flood-related issues in recent years. For example, heavy rains regularly create a small lake in front of the Dartmouth General Hospital on Pleasant Street, and the Sackville River overflows, creating problems for Bedford and Sackville.

• Insurance woes await some hardest hit by Cape Breton floods

Halifax to pick 10 sites

In order to qualify for the federal program, Halifax has to have an assessment done to federal standards. To do so, the municipality put out a call for a consultant to review the 30 sites. That review will recommend the top 10 sites in need of repairs.

"That could be larger culverts, more drainage channels, regrading," Teasdale said. "It could be a vast number of things."

Halifax hopes to apply for funding by 2018, he said. The cost of the each project will determine how many applications are sent in.

The federal program has a total of $200 million available. It wraps up in 2020.