This is Vancouver Why is Abbotsford lobbying Ottawa over flood protection again?
Feb 4, 2026
Ross Siemens, Mayor of Abbotsford pressing Ottawa for federal funding to protect Sumas Prairie; brief bio: local mayor focused on infrastructure and food security. Chad Pawson, CBC reporter covering regional politics and floods. They discuss the 2021 flood promises, Abbotsford’s trip to Ottawa, federal inaction, cross-border Nooksack challenges, specific mitigation asks and the economic stakes of doing nothing.
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Sumas Prairie Is Economically Critical
- The Sumas Prairie is an agricultural and transportation hub whose floods threaten national economic links.
- Repeated floods reveal local vulnerability that demands attention beyond provincial recovery spending.
Promises Haven't Become Concrete Action
- Federal promises after 2021 have not translated into the timely action local leaders expect.
- Local officials want faster, more focused federal attention, not just funding announcements.
Frame Flooding As Nation-Building
- Make the national case by linking Sumas Prairie resilience to food security, transport and energy corridors.
- Frame mitigation as nation-building to align local needs with federal priorities.